


Kindled

by Wafflesrock



Series: Ring of Fire [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Drunken Confessions, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Interspecies Awkwardness, Interspecies Sex, Knotting, Sexual Harassment, Slow Burn, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-02-02 16:51:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 81,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12730512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wafflesrock/pseuds/Wafflesrock
Summary: Stationed on board the Turian cruiserThe Steadfastas part of an intensive marketing campaign, Gwen Kedar  meets and befriends  Tassius Malolin, the Commander, or Kabalim, of the elite turian biotic unit known as the Cabals. Together they discover that despite being from different worlds, they have more in common than they realized.Takes place during the events of ME1 and leads up to the Civil War on Taetrus.





	1. New Faces

The first time she saw him was shortly after the ship had left the Citadel docking bay. He looked like he’d taken a bath in human blood: red plates, red eyes, red colony markings. Water cascaded down his long fringe and over his tawny brown hide and carapace to create mini streams and waterfalls.

He had noticed her immediately and turned, fixing her with those crimson eyes. Transfixed, Gwen stared back.

It didn’t help that he was naked. Though, in retrospect, she was in the ships showers. After staring at him for far longer than what could have been called appropriate, he made an odd buzzing noise with his subvocals and turned away, resuming scrubbing his chest plates with what looked like a piece of steel wool attached to an elaborately carved ivory handle.

“See something you like, or just browsing?”

Gwen snapped her mouth shut and shook her head. “I, uhh, sorry, I thought this was the bathroom.” Gathering her dignity as best she could while backing away toward the door she added, “I’m really sorry I barged in on you.”

It would have been a polite, dignified exit. Except that her high heels were definitely not meant to walk quickly on a wet, metal floor. The loud yip she let out as her hands flew forward to prevent her face from crashing into the ground was perhaps as far from dignified as a person could get. _Well fuck a good first impression with this guy,_ she thought, as her face flushed at the sight and sound of two large, digi-grade feet swiftly approaching.

“Are you alright?” There was a prolonged chirrup that accompanied the question and Gwen mentally raced to remember what that meant, before giving up and deciding to go for levity.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just embarrassed.” She sighed, pushing herself off the floor. “Guess it was too much to ask that I didn’t humiliate myself on the first day.” She gazed up at his face, resolutely not looking any lower, and gave him an awkward smile.

The facial plating that turians had adapted to cope with the harsh rays of Palaven’s sun, Trebia, also served to make their faces extremely difficult to read. Gwen stared back into his unblinking, blood red eyes, and tried to find a familiar expression before noticing his mandibles were flared out slightly in what was probably the turian equivalent of a smirk. “I wouldn’t say humiliated,” he hummed before, after a short pause where he seemed to consider it, he reached down to offer her his hand.

Gwen took it gratefully and rose to her feet, noticing that the palms of his hands felt like rough suede, and were devoid of plating. “Thanks, uh…”

“Kabalim Tassius Malolin.” He visibly straightened when giving his title, which, given that he was totally naked and dripping wet would have been pretty funny, except for the fact that he was the Kabalim. One of the people she had been sent here to impress. A Commander of a Cabal force, and someone who’s backing Hahne-Kedar could really use if their Silverback Armor was to become common use in the Hierarchy’s vast military.

Gwen had always been good with words. That was part of the reason her father and uncle had selected her for this pre-negotiated marketing demonstration. But, here, on an alien ship, faced with a very tall —and very nude — Cabal Commander, the most articulate thing to fall from her mouth with splat was “oh.”

She wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but the Kabalim, _Tassius,_ she reminded herself, seemed to deflate a little. “Yes. And I understand you shall be aboard with us for the duration of our next tour, Ms. Kedar?” It wasn’t really a question. As one of the highest ranked officers on _The Steadfast_ he would obviously have known who she was and why she, a young human female in an expensive Asari-style dress and high heels, was here.

Gwen mentally slapped herself. “Yes, Kabalim, I’ll be touring with the ship to demonstrate the benefits and practical utility of our Silverback Armor in real world situations. We hope that the Hierarchy finds it to be a worthy investment toward the protection of its soldiers.” _Nailed it_ she thought as the Kabalim nodded his head.

“Then I am sure I will be seeing you again soon,” the Kabalim said, all traces of his previous ease vanished. “And the head is on the second level, Ms. Kedar,” he stated matter of factly, though not unkindly, as he turned back to the shower, red plates glistening in the artificial light. _The water’s probably cold now,_ Gwen thought as she mumbled a “thank you,” and forced herself to turn and walk out the doors.

Once out in the hall and away from the very naked Kabalim, Gwen made her way to the second level of the cruiser, so she could finally pee. She had been holding it in since her meeting with Captain Vallokius and it was becoming impossible to ignore.

Upon locating the blissfully empty head and relieving herself, Gwen stopped to look at her reflection in the small mirror the facilities offered. Her long, golden hair was still done up in an intricate French Twist, and her skin still clung greedily to the last remnants of her beach tan. She squared her shoulders and trained her face into a serious expression, attempting not to look like a young girl playing adult. She could do this. She knew the statistics of the Hahne-Kedar Armory as well as her father, and was extremely familiar by now with the turian specific armor she was here to promote and market. She could read and understand Palaveni, if not speak it very well due to a lack of subvocals, and during her college studies had majored in xeno-cultures.

 _Now if only I’d bothered to look up the personnel photos of the ships’ officers,_ she thought, irked at her own oversight and flashing back to her awkward meeting with Kabalim Malolin. _Hopefully he doesn’t think I’m a complete idiot._ On that note, she strode from the head like a woman with something to prove, and headed straight for her assigned quarters.

Like everything aboard a military vessel, her room was small and spartan. There was a standard, bowl shaped turian bed in the middle, with what were probably scratchy blankets, a set of metal drawers bolted to the wall, a small metal desk and an uncomfortable looking chair. With a genuine smile Gwen saw that her chest of personal effects had already been delivered, and she immediately unlocked the crate and kicked off her ridiculous heels. Shedding her dress and replacing it with Alliance fatigues made her finally feel like she was aboard a military vessel and not some expensive cruise liner.

Once changed, Gwen stood and stared around her room for a moment before grabbing a data pad containing the crew personnel files and sitting in the terrible chair. _I’m not bumbling into another higher-up,_ she thought resolutely. _And certainly not another naked one_ her traitorous brain added. God, that memory wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. She sighed and stared at the barren grey wall in front of her.

Humans had come a long way the galaxy in a short amount of time, Gwen mused. From discovering the Mass Relays, to the First Contact War, to joining the Citadel, to even having Commander Jane Shepard appointed as the first Human Spectre. She shook her head. _No wonder the other races are awed at our progress and simultaneously frightened of it._ It was that sense of caution, that fear of human ambition, that Gwen would have to overcome. And with the turians at that.

She held no delusions about what they thought of her race, and by extension, her. Eager children with, unfortunately for the Hierarchy, a highly adaptable physiology and military. Many felt that the reparations for Shanxi were to heavy, and even more thought that humanity wasn’t ready for a Spectre. _Well, the Commander has been proving them wrong there,_ Gwen smirked. But still, she’d have to summon all her skill, wit, and charisma to convince Captain Vallokius, Kabalim Malolin, and the other high ranking military officials she was to confer with that human manufactured armor was comparable to that crafted by Armax Arsenal. It would take even more of her charm to convince said officials that not only was Hahne-Kedar produced armor comparable to that of Armax, but preferable, and worth purchasing in bulk for their troops.

Her father and uncle were placing a great deal of faith in her. _I can do this,_ she thought to herself again and flipped on the data pad.

**********

It was approaching the night cycle by the time she left her quarters and headed for the dining commons. Her eyes pulsed in their sockets and she could feel a headache beginning to gnaw at the center of her skull. _Too much close reading, the fuck is wrong with me?_ Gwen entered the dining area, which was fairly close to her room, and paused. There were several turians, _people,_ she mentally berated herself, milling around. There was a large male with brown plates and red colony markings near what looked like a coffee machine and holding a cylindrical cup, and a female with greenish-grey plates and white colony markings sitting at a table.

Toward the back of the dinning commons were several long, tall benches and tables and there was male turian seated at one of these tables with his back to her and head down reading. _Time to put that legendary Kedar charisma to the test,_ she thought. Gwen walked confidently into the open space and headed for the kitchen area. All turian ships carried levo rations due to the Volus, and sure enough, Gwen located the box containing tubes of processed levo paste. _Should’ve requisitioned my own food,_ she thought. As she opened a tube she turned to look at the male turian who was now drinking his "coffee" and staring at her.

“Hey, so, my name’s Gwen Kedar. I’m going to be traveling with the ship for your next tour.” She gave him a genuine smile she hoped came off as friendly. “What’s your name?”

The brown plated male regarded her for another second before replying with the flick of a mandible, “Aurelius Naxxus.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Aurelius,” Gwen stated with a polite bow of her head, the standard turian greeting. Aurelius nodded back to her, but his focus quickly turned to her hair, which while still in a fancy up-do was starting to spill out of the twist from where she’d been playing with it while reading. _Ah yes, the fascination with human hair,_ she thought, remembering how her xeno-studies professor had stressed what a curiosity hair was to the other races.

Casually, Gwen reached up and took out a few of the bobby pins holding back the thick blonde tresses. More of her hair fell free to pool over her shoulders and down her back. Aurelius watched, captivated.

“Never seen hair before, huh?” she asked with a smile in her voice. Aurelius looked back to her face, his mandibles flaring softly in and out, as though he were considering something.

“No…” he started slowly, “but, it looks… soft?” The question made Gwen smile and suppress a giggle. Pulling a rather think lock over her shoulder she walked a bit closer to Aurelius, though not close enough to invade his personal space and held out the gold tress to him.

“You can touch it if you want. There isn’t any social stigma attached to others touching your hair with permission.” Clearly Aurelius had not expected this offer, and he let out a startled chirp before clamping down on his subvocals and slowly, cautiously, reaching for the offered hair.

He held a respectable bunch between his two large, main fingers, rubbing them together to take in her hair’s texture. “So many separate strands.” He muttered. Gwen grinned.

“I can dye it different colors, too.”

“Really?” Aurelius asked, still entranced with the hair in his hand. Gwen noticed out of the corner of her eye that the female turian had slowly made her way over to the counter to see what was happening.

“Hey,” Gwen offered. “Want in on this, too?” The female, much like Aurelius had done, flared her mandibles as if in thought before stepping closer and reaching out a three-fingered hand to accept the new lock of hair Gwen held out to her. The female rumbled in her chest as she held the strange bunch of strands in her hand, bringing her face closer to admire it.

Gwen suppressed a snicker. _Wonder how many people I can pull over to hold my hair,_ she mused, before the female turian began to speak. “Is all human hair this soft?” She was still holding the lock with one hand while running the tip of her talon from her other pointer finger over the loose ends.

“Yes and no?” Gwen offered. When both turians turned to look at her Gwen explained, “Some humans have coarser hair, some have even softer hair then mine. There’s a wide range of variation. But I guess, in general, human hair is soft.” This explanation seemed to suit them and the female turian flicked her mandibles once before saying, “My name is Prenia Partinax, by the way. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself sooner.”

“No worries” Gwen assured her with a slight bow of her head, which caused both turians to drop the pieces of hair they were holding.

“So, I’m still learning my way around the ship,” Gwen started. “Is this the only dinning commons on board? And does the crew all eat here or take their food somewhere else?”

“This is the only dinning facility on board with freeze dried meat. So, most of the crew takes their meals here, though there’s no pre-scheduled meal times.” Prenia answered her.

“I’ve read,” Gwen started, thinking of how to phrase her question, “that turians only need roughly four hours of sleep a night. Is that true?” It was Aurelius’s turn to talk though Prenia looked just as amused, if Gwen was interpreting the raised brow ridges correctly.

“We only sleep in four-hour bursts,” Aurelius confirmed, “but we do so twice a day.” Gwen nodded, storing this information for later use. Aurelius took a drink of his coffee looking beverage.

“So, do either of you have any tips on what I should or shouldn’t do, or who I should be careful around?” Gwen mentally shook her head, remembering her encounter with Kabalim Malolin.

Prenia rumbled in what Gwen interpreted to be a reassuring manner. “No one on board is going to prevent you from doing your job. You’re a human, yes, but your kind has shown that there is honor and merit in your species. And truth be told, a lot of the crew are interested to see what this new armor of yours can do.”

“You might want to watch what you say around Gunnery Officer Sareris, though,” Aurelius added. “He’s…difficult to get along with anyway, and thinks that humans are demanding too much, too soon.” Prenia nodded at this but was quick to say “but he won’t impede your work. He might make some snide remarks about humans though.”

“Gottcha,” said Gwen, while mentally taking a note to avoid the local bigot as much as possible.

After chatting pleasantly with Aurelius and Prenia for several minutes, Prenia excused herself to go back on duty as one of the ship’s engineers. However, Aurelius stayed to talk a bit longer and Gwen decided she really liked him. He was a biotic with the Cabal unit stationed on-board and showed a genuine interest in her as a person, as well as humans in general. He was also apparently quite the movie buff. He offered to give Gwen some film recommendations, which she happily accepted.

Before he left to his quarters for one of those four-hour naps he’d mentioned, he stated with an upward flick of his mandibles, “I heard you’ve already met Kabalim Malolin…in the showers.” _Fucking great._ Gwen grimaced slightly.

“Yea, well, hopefully he won’t hold that first meeting against me.” She rubbed the back of her neck, dislodging the last of her hair from its up-do. Aurelius let out a rumbling chuckle, and with a wave, headed toward his room.

Left to herself, Gwen poured a cup of water and grabbed some more tubes of levo goo before heading toward one of the benches in the back of the dinning area. The male turian was still there hunched over a data pad. But, as Gwen sat with her own food, she noticed there were many, many data pads flung around him on the table top.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Gwen sucked some levo paste into her mouth and while chewing the flavorless junk, tried to surreptitiously peek at what he was reading from her table. She leaned over in her chair, neck craning to try to catch the title of one of the pads.

“They’re detailed accounts of the battle for Digeris,” came a deep flanged voice. Startled at being caught spying, Gwen froze in her chair, cheeks still shoved with levo paste and brown eyes wide. The reader slowly straightened his back and turned his head to the left so he could look at her.

With horror, and color quickly storming her face in what was probably an amazing blush, Gwen recognized the red plates, eyes, and colony markings of Kabalim Malolin. Only he was fully clothed this time in a light armor. _Phantom armor_ she thought dully to herself as she swallowed her mouthful of paste.

“Kabalim Malolin!” She said far too loudly. “Fancy seeing you here.” _Good God,_ she thought to herself _stop talking you dumbass._ Kabalim Malolin’s mandibles pulled into his face in an expression of either humor or disgust. Gwen couldn’t decide which, and honestly didn’t know which was worse.

“Many people like to read in the dinning commons,” he stated. “Myself included.”

Floundering for something to say which wouldn’t make her look stupider than she already felt, she grasped at his subject matter. “So, the battle for Digeris. Wasn’t that the bloodiest battle in Hierarchy history?”

The Kabalim looked surprised, “yes it was. Many soldiers sacrificed their lives defending our colony from the Krogan. But, in the end, honor, training, and superior battle tactics took the day” he stated with a deep thrum, and another noise Gwen attributed to pride.

“We learned about it in Alliance training” Gwen said. “Our teacher had us analyze the battle and tactics used.” She thought the Kabalim, whose first name she recalled was Tassius, looked like he approved.

“It is a battle worth reading about” he agreed, and before Gwen could stop herself she’d risen out of her seat to peer at the mass of data pads before him. The Kabalim cocked his head at her.

“Sorry, just, human curiosity,” she stated lamely. “I was curious what the names of the accounts were.”

The Kabalim rumbled to himself and made some other subharmonic sound Gwen felt more then heard before he handed her a data pad. It was a Krogan account of the battle. _Interesting perspective,_ she thought. “To know how to defeat one’s enemy, one must know how they think.” The Kabalim stated. Gwen looked up to him and marveled again at just how red he was. And young. According to his personnel file, which she had read in exhaustive detail when back in her room, he was only twenty six Earth years old. He was one of the youngest Kabalims in Hierarchy history.

Not wanting to oogle him again like in the showers, Gwen quickly looked down at the data pad, scrolling through some of the text. “Do you let just any turian you meet touch your hair, or was that some type of ploy to initiate conversation?”

His question startled her initially, but clearly she wasn’t the only one playing voyeur. “I thought it might be a good way to break the ice,” she admitted, and at his blank stare clarified “I thought it would be a good way to start a dialogue, maybe make some friends.” She shrugged, and before she could stop herself, remind herself that this was a highly ranked, highly decorated officer she was addressing, she asked “jealous you missed out on the petting?”

The Kabalim looked taken aback, mandibles flicking out quickly against his sanguine facial pates to expose his bright, pointed teeth. Gwen was horrified. “That probably came out wrong,” she started to say, _like there was any way that could have actually sounded RIGHT?_

“I…it’s...er.” Mortified as she was, a part of her still thought he was pretty cute when he was flustered. Regaining his composure with a quick shake of his head, he straightened in his seat and asked, “Do you want to make friends here?” Though still embarrassed, Gwen’s brow furrowed slightly. He was trying to get at something, but what she wasn’t entirely clear.

“Well, I’d like to make friends. I’m here as part of an intensive marketing campaign between the Hierarchy and Hahne-Kedar Armory, but, if I’m to be serving alongside the crew of this ship, I’d like to be able to call them friends.” She stated, carefully watching the Kabalim’s mandibles, which seemed to be where turians expressed most of their emotions.

“I see,” was all the Kabalim responded, though not rudely. “Well Ms. Kedar –”

“Gwen.”

He paused, looking up to her whiskey brown eyes with his own intense crimson gaze. “When we’re off duty, please, call me Gwen.” She repeated, this time with a reassuring smile.

“Gwen,” he tested her name. She enjoyed the way it sounded with his subvocals, like he was hugging her with his voice. The Kabalim nodded, “very well Gwen. I must be cleaning up to get back to my post, but I look forward to your demonstration on the real-world applications of this new armor of yours.”

Gwen smiled. Turian battle sims were no laughing matter. Especially when they were for the Cabal. Their next destination was some back-water Savannah planet the Hierarchy used for training drills. She was going to be running said drills with the Cabal, several of whom would be sporting Silverback Armor as a test of the armors capabilities and durability. She’d been mentally prepping for this moment since she arrived. If the armor met the task and the Cabals, and more importantly their Kabalim, liked it, it was a good sign that Hahne-Kedar would be getting a Hierarchy contract in the near future.

“I aim to impress,” she smiled. Turning to walk by the Kabalim, whom she noticed hadn’t given her permission to call him Tassisus, she glanced down at his pile of data pads and noticed with great amusement, that the data pad closest to her was a collection of poetry by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Whether or not the data pads owner noticed her observation she couldn’t say, but it was with a growing smirk that she headed back to her own table.


	2. The Cabal

Gwen’s back hit hard against the large boulder, her M-98 Widow clutched tightly to her chest as she fought to catch her breath. 

This “drill” the Kabalim had the Cabal running was some serious bullshit. Their team was made up of eight members, counting her and the Kabalim, and they were presently working their asses off trying to take out not one, but three YMIR Mechs. _Where the fuck were they storing all this shit?_ Gwen thought to herself as a spray of bullets from the machine gun rained overhead, breaking through the defensive barrier several of the Cabals had been holding for longer than Gwen thought possible. 

Gwen had trained in the Alliance reserves as a sniper, part of her job was to ensure that she understood the concerns and problems facing real soldiers on the battle field. When she’d informed Kabalim Malolin that she’d be actively participating in this drill, and not just monitoring the situation from a safe distance, he’d expressed reservations about her skill level for such a “serious practice run.” Gwen snorted, remembering the look of concern in his eyes. 

Aurelius dropped down next to her, his body pulsing a deep blue. “Are all your drills like this?” Gwen asked him, rolling onto her stomach and crawling toward a bunch of shorter rocks, dragging her rifle with her. 

“No,” was the winded response. “Only when the Kabalim is pissed off or looking to impress someone.” He flicked his left mandible at her as he came into position, biotics flaring in preparation for another onslaught. “Guess this means he’s trying to impress you, Gwen.” She rolled her eyes, not that Aurelius could see behind her helmet, and took aim at one of the Mechs through her scope. 

It felt like she had been playing a deadly game of ring-around-the-rosie with these fucking things. The arena they were fighting in, if you could call it that, was totally flat and there was no way to claim any ‘higher-ground’ so to speak. 

The Cabal had encircled the Mechs and while two people hit them with successive warps and singularities, another two held up a barrier to protect the individuals launching powerful offensive attacks.

These prototypes, currently being called YMIR Mechs were, ironically, a product of Hahne-Kedar Armory. Her father had been attempting to build a more formidable anti-infantry Mech for years. As part of the deal with the Hierarchy to allow Gwen access to their military officials, Hahne-Kedar had gifted several of these prototypes to _The Steadfast_ for use in combat drills. 

The YMIR Mechs were slow, but on flat ground with little cover, they were a bitch to destroy. Gwen focused on the moving target, which was being hit by successive warps from two members of the Cabal, looking to drain its shields. The Mech briefly paused in its attack to switch over to its rocket launcher. Opportunity presented, Gwen squeezed the trigger of her rifle as she released the breath she’d been holding, and watched the Mech’s head fly back, the shielding all but destroyed. One more direct hit like that and the thing would be done for. 

“Cover me!” She shouted to Aurelius, and trusting him to follow, she dove out of cover and toward another large cluster of rocks, closer to where the damaged Mech had moved. Diving behind a large boulder she heard the Mechs rocket launcher explode against Aurelius’ biotic barrier. The barrier broke under the force of the impact and Aurelius stumbled backward. 

Seizing her chance, Gwen quickly set up her rifle and took aim at the head once more. The thing was moving around erratically, trying to keep up with the other team members who had since zeroed in on it and all but drained its shields. Gwen fired as soon as the Mech’s head flashed into her crosshairs. There was a terrible screech before the Mech shuddered, and crumpled to the ground. Thankfully, Hahne-Kedar had disabled the “death explosion” feature on these Mechs since they were only intended for battle sims.

“Fuck yea!” Gwen exclaimed with a fist pump. Aurelius rumbled behind her. “Nice shot!”  
She turned to look at her compatriot, who’d volunteered to try out the Silverback Armor during this drill. The armor appeared to be in perfect working order, if not a bit scuffed from where Aurelius had been diving around rocks. 

“How’s the armor treating ya?” She inquired. 

“I like it,” Aurelius replied as he listened to his comm for orders concerning the other two Mechs. “Really flexible, but still durable enough to protect me from shots that get around other’s barriers.” _Not his_ she noted with a minute shake of her head. 

“Let’s move it, Kabalim wants those last two Mechs down yesterday.” Gwen wondered vaguely if the Kabalim was trying to impress her. Or perhaps if this was some type of belated revenge for her petting comment the other day. 

The speed with which Kabalim Malolin was demanding his team take down the Mechs was, to her at least, lunacy. Yet, even if she hadn’t taken out one of them, the Cabal were impressive in their range and use of biotics, and had already taken down the second Heavy Mech by the time she and Aurelius made it back to the rest of the group. 

Before Gwen could position her sniper to be at least a little helpful, all the air around her seemed to buzz and the atmosphere went static. A massive arc of biotic energy was shot at the remaining Mech like a thunderbolt. Gwen had seen human biotics run drills, and had seen plenty of vids of assari huntresses. But to be this close to a Reave of this caliber was, in a word, incredible. 

It’s shields already depleted, there was no way the Mech could withstand an attack of such magnitude. It went down with a prolonged crash, utterly destroyed. _Guess they’ll only be using two Mechs for their drills now,_ Gwen absently thought. 

Gwen slowly rose to her feet in search of the person who caused the damage, and, at Aurelius’ chuckling rumble, turned to see Kabalim Malolin striding across the wreckage, to address the team. “Oh, he’s definitely trying to impress you.” Aurelius said in a conspiratorial whisper. 

Gwen shook her head, though her eyes were glued to the Kabalim who was now waving the team in. Once huddled in a semi-circle, the Kabalim proceeded to critique everyone’s performance. His comments were both insightful and at times, cutting, when he thought someone hadn’t given it their all. The Cabal team hung onto his every word. 

Gwen tuned out most of what he said to focus on his mandibles, which, since he’d removed his helmet, were twitching against his face excitedly. “…And from all accounts it seems like those in the Silverback Armor found it up to the task.” Gwen snapped back to attention. “I’d actually prefer this armor to my other suit,” one of the female members, _Octa, maybe?_ Piped up. 

The Kabalim, who didn’t seem all that tired despite the energy he must have expelled in that last take-down, must have given some subharmonic order because the team gave him the claw salute, before turning back toward the designated shuttle pick-up. 

“Ms. Kedar,” Gwen turned towards the Kabalim. “That was good work with the sniper rifle out there.” He hummed. “I confess, I did not think you would be as competent a soldier as you clearly are.” Gwen took the compliment for what it was. After all, their first meeting had been her tripping in high heels, and after that, he’d caught her trying to read over his shoulder…and then there was the hair petting comment. 

“Thank you, Kabalim. That actually means a lot coming from someone as accomplished as you.” Gwen pulled her helmet off since the sim was over, some of her hair falling lose from her braid and blowing in the breeze. She gave Kabalim Malolin an appreciative smile. His mandibles pulled away from his face for an extended period before slowly easing back against his facial plating. _What does that mean?_ She worried herself. But before she could ask, he’d cleared his throat and pointed back to where the shuttle was approaching, before taking several long strides away from her. 

*********  


Gwen had worried at first that changing out of armor in front of the rest of the team would get her a litany of questions and bizarre looks. However, turians were the epitome of professionalism, it seemed. And while there were some curious glances, both in the locker room and the showers, no one said anything about her body.

In fact, it wasn’t until she had gone to tend to her rifle that she heard any comment about herself. And it came from the one person whom she would have suspected. 

“Human, are you seriously using that brand of oil to clean your weapon?” She turned to see Gunnery Officer Sareris leveling her with a disgusted glare from his yellow eyes. She’d looked up his photograph in a bid to avoid him after Prenia and Aurelius’ warning, but sadly, she was in his workspace and he was here. 

“It’s fine,” Gwen said with a barely suppressed eye roll. While not a high-ranking ship official, she wasn’t out to make enemies. Officer Sareris narrowed his eyes.

“Far be it from me to help you, then,” he stated, and looked like he wanted to say more, but suddenly Kabalim Malolin was standing next to her in his under armor. 

“Ms. Kedar, I have had the team members who were wearing the Silverback Armor set it up back there,” he pointed to where two sets of cleaned armor were laid out on a bench for her to inspect. “I will give you a full report, as well as one from each participant, within the next two cycles.”

“Thank you, Kabalim. On behalf of Hahne-Kedar Armory, your input and opinion are extremely welcomed.”

“Please,” Officer Sareris scoffed. “If you wanted to get a real opinion on that ‘armor’ of yours, you should have asked the Havoc troops to try it. Not those freaks in the Cabal.”

To say Gwen was stunned would be an understatement. The Kabalim was literally standing right there, and outranked Sareris by several tiers. The Kabalim, however, seemed used to it. 

“Remember your place Officer Sareris,” he said with a low growl to his voice, staring hard at the other man. Sareris seemed to finally remember how many tiers lower he was than the Kabalim, and lowered his head respectfully. 

The Kabalim nodded to Gwen, and, standing far more rigid then he had been, strode off to attend to his own weapon. 

“Over ranked fledgling,” she heard Sareris, rumble. “He might be a powerful biotic, but he is far too young to be a Kabalim.” He turned to stare at Gwen again with mean eyes. “You humans seem to think those,” he gestured vaguely to where the Kabalim, Aurelius and the rest of the Cabal were finishing cleaning up their weapons and armor, “things, are so fascinating with their freakish abilities. A word to the wise human; biotics cannot be trusted. They are all sneaky back stabbers who would sooner hit you with a shockwave then be your friend.” 

“Ah, wow, thanks for the heads-up Susan, totally appreciate the meritless bigotry. While we’re already being a colossal douche bag, anything you’d like to add about the Quarians?” Gwen grabbed her sniper and cleaning supplies before “Susan” could respond and walked over to where the Kabalim was finishing working on his own gear. 

“You didn’t need to say anything to him,” Kabalim Malolin said softly, as Gwen laid out her supplies. “Now he’ll just be more outspoken about your presence here.” So. The fat waisted asshole had already been talking shit about her. Gwen shook her head.

“I know turians, like humans, can be distrustful of biotics, but you’re a commanding officer! Who the hell does he think he is?” She whispered angerly. “And everyone on the Cabal has demonstrated that they are highly trained, professional soldiers. That guy—”

“Is from an older generation.” The Kabalim finished. Gwen stopped furiously rubbing at her sniper muzzle to consider his face. The dimmer lights of the area made his plates glow like a tropical sunset. 

“I am well aware of Officer Sareris’s opinion on biotics, and myself,” the Kabalim went on. “There is nothing he can say or do that would jeopardize my position in the Hierarchy. And I would still have given the Silverback Armor my recommendation for use in the Cabal, even if you had agreed with him. It is a high-grade product and the turian military should consider utilizing it.”

Gwen was left open mouthed, staring at the Kabalim in disbelief. Did he seriously think she only stood up to Officer Susan-the-douche because she was concerned he wouldn’t give Hahne-Kedar Armory a good report? 

Closing her mouth slowly, she angled her head to catch his attention. “I didn’t yell at Officer Sareris because I wanted to stay in your good graces.” The Kabalim cocked his head, seemingly confused. “You... the Cabal,” she sighed. “You’re good soldiers, and good people. No one gets to sit back and spew that baseless nonsense while I’m around. You’re a way better soldier than that old jerk. I’ve seen you in action, who cares if you’re a biotic. You’re amazingly talented and a dynamic leader.”

Gwen stopped herself before she could continue gushing to fix the Kabalim with a decided stare. The Kabalim’s mandibles were flapping out against his face, his brow plates were raised, and the hide on his neck had taken on an almost greyish-blue hue. _Did I embarrass him?_ Gwen wondered.

The Kabalim glanced around them. Aside from Susan, who had moved off further away and out of earshot, they were alone. The rest of the Cabal had likely gone to the dinning commons for some food. “Thank you,” the Kabalim said in a hushed tone, though he was making an odd whine in his subvocals. He looked at her again, almost shyly, it seemed, before picking up his pistol and stowing it in his weapons locker. 

“Ms. Kedar — Gwen,” he stopped as he turned toward the elevator. “You… if we’re alone, and off duty,” the whine in his subvocals returned louder than before. “Then, you-can-call-me-Tassius.” The last part came out in a rush and was nearly drowned out by the loud whine echoing in his chest.

His mandibles flared out slightly in what Gwen had come to recognize as a grin, before he disappeared around several large crates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are always welcome! And please feel free to hit me up on tumblr @wafflesrock16


	3. Cultural Differences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I came up with some of my own vocabulary for the turian language, and will include the definitions at the beginning of the chapters they appear in. Additionally, all the continent and city names Aurelius mentions are taken from the Mass Effect Wiki and will be more important later on.
> 
> Erat Herba: A park in Cipritine comparable to Central Park in New York City. The Latin word literally means vegetation. 
> 
> Taetrian Laudatix: The ministry of citizenship rankings on Taetrus. Each Hierarchy planet has its own Laudatix.
> 
> Shalta: A large, armor plated and tusked land animal native to the woodland areas of Palaven.

“What is a Susan?” Aurelius asked her as they sat companionably with Prenia in the dinning commons.

Gwen snorted as she swallowed some flavorless levo paste. _It’s true what they say about gossip being the fastest thing in the universe_ she mused. “Susan is a generic human name. Sometimes, when you’re trying to be condescending to someone, you’ll refer to them as either ‘Susan,’ ‘Helen’ or ‘Becky’. At least, it’s a common thing to do on the part of Earth where I’m from.”

Aurelius seemed to mull this over as he ripped off a piece of gooey looking vat meat and stuck it on his tongue. Gwen tried not to stare, but the fact that turians didn’t really use those mouths full of teeth to chew, and instead swallowed chunks of food whole had been difficult to ignore. That they’d routinely swallow small stones and pebbles with larger meals was even harder to turn a blind eye to.

“What part of Earth are you from?” Prenia asked, forcing Gwen to stop watching Aurelius eat.

“I’m from an island, actually,” Gwen stated. “Hawaii. Warm ocean waters on all sides, tropical flowers and plants. It’s paradise.” She hadn’t thought much of home in the time she’d been onboard the ship, but now her mind wandered to the white sand beaches and happy newlyweds frolicking in the surf.

“What about you two?” She asked in a bid to dispel the melancholy that had suddenly descended on her mood. “Are you both from Palaven?”

“I am,” said Prenia. “From the capital, actually. Cipritine. For a large city, it’s extremely beautiful. Lots of parks and gardens with native flowers and trees.” She sighed a little. “My family is fairly high up the citizenship tiers; our house is in a premier area of the city with views of Erat Herba park in the west and the city center in the east.”

“Sounds gorgeous,” Gwen replied honestly. Despite wanting to ask how high up the tiers Prenia’s family was, Gwen decided they needed to be closer before she asked a question like that. She wouldn’t want to offend her new friend.

“I’m from Taetrus,” Aurelius replied. “Eluria. My home city, Madra, is fairly rural. Hasn’t been ruined by sky scrapers and overbuilding. You can still see the native wildlife just a few miles out of town.”

Gwen nodded. “This might be a dumb question,” she paused. “But I never really got a clear answer when I was in school. Are your colony markings indicative to where you were born, or what planet you… swear allegiance to?” She hoped that hadn’t come off as rude.

“Colony markings indicate where you were born usually. But, if you were born on a space station or while in transit, your markings will be the same as the region of whatever planet your family lives on, or wherever the greater part of your extended family lives.” Prenia supplied.

“Palaven, being the original home world, has hundreds of different colony markings depending on what region of the planet you’re from.” Prenia pointed to the elegant white swirls of color extending over both her mandibles, under her eyes, and up along her forehead. “Mine indicate that I am from Cipritine. His,” she gestured to Aurelius, who had his mouth full of food again, “indicate he’s from Taetrus. Most of the regions on Taetus have red colony markings, though the designs differ.”

“Is Kabalim Malolin from Taetrus?” Gwen questioned, as she imagined the thick, geometric lines that ran up his fringe and along his cheeks like war paint.

“Yea, he’s from Vallum, the capital,” Aurelius answered. As if sensing her next question, he added “I’d never met him, or Officer Sareris until I was assigned to _The Steadfast_ , though.”

Gwen wrinkled up her nose in distaste. “Susan is from Taetrus too, huh?” 

Aurelius nodded. “He’s also from Eluria, but luckily he’s from a different city than me.”

There was a question itching at the back of Gwen’s mind. She’d had it since her blow out with Susan two cycles ago. “Aurelius, why doesn’t Susan like the Cabals?” In reality, Gwen knew it was more turians than just Susan who didn’t trust biotics, but she thought by keeping her question more specific, she might be able to spare Aurelius’s feelings a bit.

Aurelius hummed, and Prenia made a soft purring noise, the subharmonic conversation going over Gwen’s head. “Well,” Aurelius began. “Biotics among turians are rare. There’s not much eezo on the home world, and fetuses exposed to it have a high mortality rate among our kind.”

He looked like he was thinking about how to word his next statement as his brow plates furrowed and his mandibles pulled in tight against his face. “During the Unification Wars,” he went on, “biotics were often used as spies, imbedded into organizations to learn all they could and then…” _Kill everyone off in a fiery blue energy storm_ , Gwen mentally supplied, though outwardly she just nodded.

“Even though the war ended centuries ago, suspicion over biotics is still just a fact of life,” Aurelius said, a low keen in his vocals. “The military regulates us to the Cabal if any biotic ability, even weak, manifests. For those with strong biotic abilities, like the Kabalim, there can be high rewards for military service with the Cabal. For others… Well, there’s plenty of folks who’ve had a promising career cut short only to be placed in sanitation because they can make some sparks fly when they’re pissed.”

Gwen was stunned that the Hierarchy’s military would abuse its biotics in this fashion. Humans had their own stigmas and suspicions about biotics, sure, but with how common it was becoming, and the full integration the Alliance preached, the idea of segregation based purely on old bigotry was difficult for Gwen to wrap her head around.

“Once you’re in the Cabal, can you be promoted out?” She asked. That couldn’t be it. The Hierarchy couldn’t just send talented people to languish away in sanitation if they showed weak biotics.

“Generally, no” Prenia supplied, albeit with a remorseful sound to her subharmonics. “Rarely, if someone has incredibly powerful biotics, coupled with phenomenal leadership skills, then the higher ups will put them in a position of power greater than a Kabalim. I think there may have been two or three Generals who were former Kabalims, but I don’t remember. Like I said, it’s extremely rare to get promoted out of the Cabal.”

Gwen sat speechless. Different species or no, that was just so _wrong_. To be relegated to one line of work, regardless of other merits, and viewed with suspicion by the general population? That was beyond depressing. No wonder turian biotics were rare, and for the most part, probably not intentional.

“Kabalim Malolin seems like he’s an incredibly powerful biotic.” Gwen stated, looking for some glimmer of hope in the situation. “And from what I’ve seen and heard, he also has remarkable leadership skills, even though he’s young. Is there any chance he might be promoted out of the Cabal?”

“Actually,” Aurelius said, puffing his chest out, “Kabalim Malolin is on a short list of people who the Taetrian Laudatix have marked for being in position to get promoted to General. In the matter of just a few years, his name can be counted alongside Generals Vegrull, Irin, and Chellinian, as a biotic who possessed such talent and leadership ability, that he was promoted out of the Cabal and into the greater military arena.”

Clearly, Kabalim Malolin was even more impressive then she thought. No wonder his Cabal gave it their all to follow his commands. He was a shining beacon of hope for the rest of them. Proof that with real talent and ability you could still get promoted. _Also kinda explains why he’s always buried in war schematics and other work related reading_ , Gwen thought. _He probably wants this promotion like a drowning man wants driftwood_.

A thought unrelated to the current topic of conversation struck her. “Random question. Does Kabalim Malolin have a thing for poetry?”

Both Prenia and Aurelius looked surprised at the question. “If he does,” said Aurelius, “I haven’t heard about it. But then again, the Kabalim doesn’t talk a whole lot about himself.”

“He tends to stick to himself when off duty,” Prenia chimed in. “He’ll go out for drinks with the Captain and other officials, sometimes, but I’ve never really seen him partying, or taking someone back to his quarters. At least not in the year I’ve been assigned to _The_ _Steadfast_.”

The thrill of discovery ignited in Gwen’s chest, and she resolved to find the man in question as soon as she finished her snack. Which, judging by the way Aurelius had begun to wolf down his food again, she needed to do soon.

She excused herself from her friends and headed to the third level of the ship. The Kabalim – Tassius – was fond of taking data pads to a particular alcove window on this level and reading. Not that she was stalking him or anything. She’d just happened to stumble upon him during one of her explorative walks. She didn’t have as many duties as the rest of the crew, except to keep her inventory clean and accounted for, and to pitch in with general chores around the ship. So, she often had time to study up on Hahne-Kedar statistics and wander around.

Sure enough, she spied him sitting in the same window alcove, long legs spread out in front of him with several data pads laid out on his left-hand side against the glass. He was in light armor, which she had noticed most of the crew wore when off duty, and was thoroughly engrossed in his reading.

“Hi Tassius,” Gwen greeted him. He looked up, having likely heard her approach but not expecting her to stop. Gwen glanced at his data pad, noting it was some exhaustive military tactics document. “Are you busy?”

He blinked at her before slowly lowering his data-pad. “No, just doing some light reading.” _Light reading, sure_ , Gwen thought. But instead she gave him a small smile, and resolved to learn at least one new thing about the — apparently — famous Kabalim.

“I had some questions about turian culture and was wondering if you could answer them for me?” While he looked a bit confused, he moved to tuck his legs up, leaving her some room to sit down next to him.

“What is it you wanted to know?” He asked, with what Gwen thought was a curious raise of his brow plates.

 _What do I want to know?_ Gwen’s thoughts raced, not having planned this far ahead. Suddenly, her mind flashed to her first meeting with Tassius in the showers. Her mind loved reminding her of _that_ encounter. But she had noticed something strange about what he had been doing.

“Um, so, remember when we first met,” Gwen started. Tassius’s right mandible flicked up briefly in a turian smirk.

“Hard to forget something like that,” he rumbled. Gwen pressed on, determined not to blush.

“You had this weird brush you were using. I’ve seen some of the other crew using different brushes in the showers too. What are you, ya know, doing with those?”

Tassius hummed softly. “Turian carapaces are different from human or asari skin. To polish them, and really get them clean, we use specialized cleaning brushes. There are different sized brushes to correspond to different areas of the body. Some people have ornate handles for their brushes, with the wire bristles being replaceable.”

“Are yours ornate?” Gwen asked.

“Yes, you could say that. Mine are made from _Shalta_ tusks, and were passed down to me from my father, and my grandfather before him. Sort of a right of passage for the first-born child to receive the family brushes before leaving for boot camp.”

“What areas of your carapace do the brushes correspond to?”

“Well, the keel and cowl to be sure. Then the facial plates and fringe. Chest and arm plates and leg plates, and…” his final response was hummed more then spoken and Gwen lost his words in the subvocals. 

“And the what?” she asked.

“And, the pelvic or groin plates.” He answered, and Gwen swore that his neck flushed a slight blue.

“You mean, you have to clean your genitals with a wire brush?” She was probably talking louder than necessary, and she was definitely making a weird facial expression. Tassius glanced around as if to assure himself they were still alone.

“No, I don’t scour my penis with a wire brush,” he shuddered. “Not everything is plated, you know, and some things, like that, don’t belong anywhere near a rough polishing brush.”

Gwen could feel the salacious grin creeping over her face as she really pressed her luck with a high ranking military official and asked, “where does your penis belong, Tassius?”

 _Fuck, oh shit, what was I thinking, I’ve taken it too far_ , she panicked as Tassius’s mouth fell open in shock. Snapping it closed, he glanced out at the empty walkway again before lowering his voice to a gravely rumble and replying, “wouldn’t you like to know.”

Well, dirty talking with the Kabalim certainly wasn’t where Gwen had envisioned her day shift going, but if he was game, like hell she wasn’t going to flirt with him a bit.

“Maybe I would.” She lowered her eye lids and fixed him with a sultry stare. “Though, just so you know Tassius, once you go human, nothing else is worth doin’.”

The deep subharmonic she’d been feeling radiate off him became louder until she could hear a growling purr. “Is that so,” he said, his voice taking on a rich, seductive tone. “I’m honestly not sure you’re up for it.” He leaned toward her a bit, the rumbling purr growing stronger and his mandibles spread out wide against his face in a lascivious smirk. “I’d ruin you for any other partner,” he said with an air of complete confidence.

Perhaps it was fortuitous that before Gwen could think of some skanky retort, the pair heard footsteps coming down the walkway as someone approached the alcove they were seated in. Spell broken, Gwen pulled away from Tassius, _when the hell did I nearly get in his lap, anyway?_ and moved to stand.

“Thanks for answering my questions, Kabalim, I’ll definitely come to you if I have any more.” She tossed him a saucy smile and a wink before turning to head down the walkway towards the elevator. Her back turned, she missed Tassius’s answering grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holler at me on tumblr: @ wafflesrock16. And shout-out to flux-eterna for the the brushes idea. And if you love Primarch Victus, you should really give her fic "What We're Fighting For" a read.


	4. Family and Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possible Trigger Warning: Sexual Harassment/unwanted physical contact

It was late in the night cycle and Gwen’s head hurt from all he reports she’d read, sent, and authored. Tassius hadn’t been lying when he said he’d give her his and the other Cabals’ full write ups on the Silverback Armor. The level of detail he’d personally gone into was incredible, even though he hadn’t actually tried a suit himself.

His overall recommendation was positive however, and Gwen couldn’t wait for her father and uncle to read it. If the next few tests went well and garnered similar reviews, then Hahne-Kedar would get slated for a meeting with the Hierarchy’s chief of armor and munitions requisitions, and a contract would be forthcoming.

 _Not bad for a recent college graduate and Alliance reservist_ , Gwen considered with a weary smile. She just had to impress a few Colonels at their next lay over and get them to try on said armor and give a review. _Hopefully a good one_.

She’d mentioned her meeting to Tassius, whom she had begun reading with at his alcove window. They would unofficially meet up and read data pads and chat about weapons, armor, and even their families. Learning that Tassius’s family owned the turian equivalent of a Bed and Breakfast had been quite the revelation. Gwen had just assumed his whole family was career military given his attitude, but apparently, she was way off the mark.

The more she learned about the man, the more she liked him. And sometimes, she swore she caught him looking up the hallway in anticipation of her arrival. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part. 

Either way, Tassius had advised that she should bring full read outs of the armor statistics to her meeting, and be prepared for questions about durability on planets with a corrosive atmosphere.

Gwen rubbed her eyes. Time to call it a day. She had the cleaning shift on the second level tomorrow before they docked at Invictus, and she wanted to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

As she stripped out of her Alliance fatigues, her omni tool began to chime. _The hell?_ She wondered, though her face quickly lit up in a smile when she saw it was a call from her father. Pulling her shirt back over her head, she hit the controls for vid chat. Her father’s face filled the display, and seated close to him was her mother, jockeying for a better view.

“Mom and Dad!” Gwen happily greeted.

“Hi baby!”

“Goldie locks!”

Gwen snorted at her parents’ nicknames for her. “What’s going on?” She flopped back into her nest like bed.

“We were calling to check in and see how everything was going,” her father replied. “And, I just received your reports from the Cabal’s trial run with the Silverback Armor, and all I can say is killer work kiddo. If you can get Colonel Titus and Colonel Pallin to write reviews even half as positive as this while you’re on that back-water turd colony – ”

“Sergei!” Her mother shot her dad an irritated scowl.

“What? Have you ever been to Invictus, Terra? Not the crown jewel of the Hierarchy. Gwen, carry a pistol and don’t flash around credits.”

“Honey, the reason your father and I called was to wish you a happy birthday!” Her mom had clearly decided to ignore her father’s comments on the turian colony like she would some small-time politician making a pointless argument in the parliament.

Gwen’s eyes widened momentarily. _How did I forget my own birthday?_ In truth, she knew exactly how. She’d been busy as hell with the marketing deal, her general ship duties, and since the ship went off a Hierarchy calendar, she hadn’t even noticed that it was June back on Earth. _Shit, I’m 23 now_.

“While we can’t do much while you’re stationed onboard _The_ _Steadfast_ , we did send you a birthday care package. It should be on Invictus – ”

“Turd colony – ”

“ – and ready to be delivered to the ship by the time you arrive.” Her mother stated proudly.

“Aww, thanks mom and dad. That’s awesome.” Gwen felt herself get a bit misty eyed. _Come on, you haven’t been away that long, pull it together_.

“Hang on sweetie, your brothers are here and want to say happy birthday too.” Gwen felt her tear ducts dry up. While she adored her older twin brothers, they were, in a word, asses. _At least I’ll have my entertainment for the night_ , Gwen mused as Teddy, or as she liked to think of him, Tweedle-Dee, came into view.

“Hey Gwenny, happy birthday.” Teddy greeted, sweetly enough. “How’s life aboard the love-ship treating ya?”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Not much of a ‘love-ship’ but I’m good. Did you and Remy contribute to my care package at all?”

“Heck ya! I think you’ll like our gift.” Teddy threw her a wink. “It’ll be good for those long, cold, lonely cycles in space.”

“Lonely? Aren’t turians allowed to bang whoever they want in their military?” _Ah yes, Tweedle-Dum, right on cue._ “Gwen’s probably already riddin’ a dino dick, hey Gwen?” Remy appeared oblivious to the withering look Gwen shot him through the vid connection, and judging by the sputtered admonishments coming from her parents off screen he was clearly deaf as well as blind.

“What? Like ya’ll weren’t thinking the same thing.”

“Get bent Remy,” Gwen replied. “And no, I’m not riding any ‘dino dick.’ Turians don’t have the same regs against fraternization as the Alliance, but it’s not some huge orgy out here. If anybody is sharing a room, I haven’t heard anything, and it’s not considered interesting enough to gossip about.”

“Would the crew care if you slept with –”

“That’s enough!” Their mother clearly didn’t want to think about her youngest child’s sex life. Grabbing Remy by the ear and pushing Teddy away, her mother’s face filled the screen. “Ignore your brothers, sweetie. We all miss you and wish we could celebrate your birthday together. I can’t wait till your back home.” Her mother blew Gwen a kiss. “I have to get going to a meeting, but feel free to call us whenever!”

“Love you Goldie!” Her father called out. “We’ll be in touch!”

“Bye Gwen!” the twins called out in unison.

“Bye guys, love you.” Gwen ended the call. Annoying as ever, but she still missed her brothers. They were in Dental and Veterinary school, respectively, and it was rare both were back on the island at the same time. _Prime surfing is what probably incited that duel visit_ , Gwen mused.

Sighing, she set her omni tool down next to her nest after hitting the command to turn off the lights. She closed her eyes, focusing on what she was going to say at her prearranged meeting with Colonels Ruso Titus and Calpurnia Pallin.

In the quite of her quarters, thinking about the twins’ ‘love-ship’ comment, her traitorous mind whispered a question about what Tassius’ dick looked like. Despite crinkling her brow, Gwen wasn’t ashamed to mentally admit into the darkened room that she might like to find out.

*******

Gwen entered Lounge Pretiosa feeling slightly uneasy. Her meeting with the two Colonels was supposed to take place the next day, but, due to a change of orders, neither Colonel Titus nor Colonel Pallin would be available for the planned meet.

 It was Colonel Pallin who had suggested that the trio meet up at a high-end lounge right outside the space-port that evening. Since Hahne-Kedar was footing the bill, it made sense that the Colonel would pick one of the more lavish establishments for dinner.

 Gwen spotted the two Colonels sitting toward the back of the lounge. She recognized Colonel Pallin from her colony markings, which reminded Gwen of a bio-luminescent skull and were slightly unnerving.

There was already a large bottle of something expensive looking out on the table, and each turian was sporting a full glass.

Having heeded her father’s warning, Gwen had a small pistol strapped to her inner thigh. Her dress was some Grecian inspired flowy number she’d picked up while at fashion week in New York City with her mother. The pale pink fabric was soft against her skin, and she’d opted to wear her hair down in soft ringlets. She’d received some looks from the crew as she’d left, and most seemed to be approving, so she figured she was at least easy on the turian eye.

“Ah, Ms. Kedar,” Colonel Titus greeted her, waving her into the booth. “Thank you for being so accommodating to our schedules.” Gwen gave him a polite smile, moving her long dress out of the way as she slid into the booth beside him.

 “I must say my dear,” Colonel Pallin purred, “you are even more stunning then I had imagined. Word travels fast, and more than a few of the soldiers onboard _The_ _Steadfast_ have described you as an exotic beauty.” The Colonel gave Gwen a blatant up and down before taking a drink from her glass.

 “Thank you,” Gwen managed not to frown. _What the fuck?_ “I appreciate you both taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with me,” she began, pulling several data pads out of her small briefcase and handing one to each party.

“I was hoping we’d be able to have more time to talk, and to actually give you each the opportunity to try on a set of the Silverback Armor yourselves, but circumstances being what they are, I’ve prepared statistics charts, as well as video of – ”    

 “This is very impressive,” Colonel Pallin interrupted her. “Did you do this all by yourself?” The Colonel was shooting her a less then professional look, while Colonel Titus, meanwhile, was busily reading her report.

“Yes, I did,” Gwen responded shifting awkwardly in the booth. A foot, whom she was sure belonged to Colonel Pallin, had “accidently” caressed her bare leg where she’d pulled her dress slightly up.

 Gwen shifted away and tried to pick up where she’d left off. “Anyways, as I was saying, there are also video clips of the 26th Cabal unit ruining an intensive battle sim while wearing the armor. As you can see, the Silverback medium grade armor is applicable for both offensive and defensive biotics, and would translate well to – ”

A two-toed foot, minus the shoe, ran its way the length of Gwen’s calf and toward her inner thigh. Gwen shot back into the booth right as Colonel Titus asked, “Ms. Kedar, what types of alloy are used in this model of armor?”

“I, I’m sorry, Colonel, could you repeat your question?”

“Ruso, I’m sure Ms. Kedar has already listed out the materials used in production in this sweet little schematic of hers. Haven’t you dear?”

Gwen felt sick. She’d moved her legs as best she could, but Colonel Pallin was making an absolutely _filthy_ display of using her long, blue tongue to lap at the ice cubes in the bottom of her now empty glass.

“So she has,” Colonel Titus responded, seemingly obvious to the sexual assault taking place right next to him. “I must say Ms. Kedar, you make an impressive case for your product. Would there be any way to ship a suit to the _Galaxy Lance_ so that I could test it out at a later time?”

“Of course, Colonel,” Gwen forced herself to turn to Colonel Titus and fake a smile. “It would be my pleasure. If you would just send me your measurements, I’m sure I have a suit onboard _The_ _Steadfast_ that would fit you.”

 “Wonderful!” Colonel Titus exclaimed. “Now, what would you like to eat? This restaurant offers a wide variety of levo dishes.”  

“Oh, please, let me order for you dear. I come here frequently and have seen the dishes that asari and humans order most regularly.” Colonel Pallin stated.

 “Actually, Colonels, you’ll have to pardon me, I’m not very hungry,” Gwen lied. “I wasn’t expecting to meet this evening and ate a large dinner while on the ship.”

“Nonsense!” Colonel Pallin exclaimed. “You’ve probably had nothing but ration bars on that barge, I insist you eat some real food.” Flagging down an asari waitress, the Colonel ordered Gwen a Ceaser Salad with chicken, without sparing Gwen another look.

 “Now then,” the Colonel purred, “what would you like to drink? This Drossix Blue is divine, but I fear it may upset your stomach. Do you have any Dextro allergies, dear?”

 “Thank you, Colonel, but I don’t drink,” Gwen lied again, trying desperately to think of an excuse to leave.

“You don’t? What a pity. But I’m sure that’s part of the reason your skin has such a lovely glow.” The Colonel made a lewd sounding subvocal that Colonel Titus, again, either ignored or didn’t hear.

“Thank you,” was all Gwen could say as the waitress returned with the salad she didn’t want.

“Now eat up dear, you wouldn’t want to be rude.” Gwen took a forkful of lettuce and dutifully put it in her mouth. As she chewed, a thought hit her that made her blood run cold. What if the Colonel had somehow slipped something into her food?

Gwen spent the next several minutes pushing the greenery around on her plate while trying to answer Colonel Titus’s questions and avoid Colonel Pallin’s wandering foot.

Finally, when the waitress came to clear their table, Gwen stood up out of the booth, grabbing her briefcase. “Colonels, I thank you both so much for taking the time to meet with me, but unfortunately I must return to the ship.” Gwen faked a yawn. “Human sleep patterns and all.”

Turning to Colonel Titus, she said “I’ll have a set of armor shipped to the _Galaxy Lance_ tonight, before you depart.”

“Oh, must you leave so soon?” Colonel Pallin lamented. Gwen felt her skin crawl as the woman stood up out of the booth to tower over her. “I feel like I hardly learned anything about this armor of yours.” Taking Gwen’s small hand in her own larger one, the Colonel smiled sweetly. “Is there any way I could convince you to drop by my hotel with a set? I’d love to see what it can do.”

Gwen forced a smile that probably looked more like a grimace as she removed her hand from the Colonel’s grasp. “No, I’m sorry, Colonel, I’m heading straight back to _The_ _Steadfast_. If you’d like, I can ship a set of armor to your ship like I’m doing with Colonel Titus.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’ll work sweetie,” the Colonel looked disappointed, though likely not with the shipping inconvenience. “My ships’ Captain has declared that all deliveries are over, we depart in five hours, after all.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Gwen said, moving her briefcase in front of her like a shield as she began to back away. “Perhaps another time.”

“You have my contact information dear, if you ever change your mind, please, don’t hesitate to reach out.” _Change my mind about WHAT you dirty bitch?_

“Yes, Colonel, I’ll do that. Goodnight.” Gwen politely nodded to both Colonels before hurrying as quickly as she could without making a scene to the lounge exit. Once outside, she immediately hailed a skycar and set the destination for _The_ _Steadfast_.

Gwen felt dirty. Dirty in a way no water could cleanse. _How the fuck could Colonel Titus not say anything?_ She angrily wondered. _He was sitting right there; didn’t he even hear what that whore was saying to me_? Miserably, Gwen exited the skycar and headed for the airlock.

As she went through the decontamination cycle, she wondered what she would say to her father about only getting one of the Colonels to try out the Silverback Armor. One was better than none, but still, this set her back. Gwen rubbed at her calf. She could still feel Colonel Pallin’s gross foot on her skin.

 _Was it the dress? Should I have come in light armor with my hair tied up?_ She wondered. _Did I do something that signaled I was interested in her_? Plagued with doubt and feeling miserable, Gwen headed for her quarters.

“Ah, Ms. Kedar, a large crate arrived for you while you were out. I just… thought… you might… want to know.” Tassius gave Gwen a concerned once over. “Are you alright?” He asked in a softer tone, taking a step closer to her.

“No,” Gwen replied honestly. “But I’ll be okay. There’s a crate that came for me?” Tassius regarded her, as though considering whether or not to push the subject, but in the end, with a gentle sigh he dropped it.

“Yes, it’s quite large, though I suspect most of the bulk is packing foam.” He gave Gwen an appraising look. “I’m on duty for the next two hours, but if something is troubling you…” He trailed off, but the invitation was clear. And appreciated.

“Thanks, Kabalim. I’ll come find you if I need to talk.” Gwen gave him a weak smile before heading toward the docking bay to see her care-package. _I could use something to cheer me up_.

The crate was indeed huge, and, as Tassius had guessed, was mostly full of packing material. Gwen dug in, finding cookies, toiletries, hair-care products, and a new set of work-out clothes. Toward the bottom of the crate was a giant, 2-liter bottle of expensive, brand name vodka. There was a post-it note attached which read “Happy Birthday Gwenny! Love, your favorite bros.”

 _Perhaps my night is about to look up_ , Gwen thought, seizing the bottle and a shot glass which had come with it. Heading to her quarters with her prizes, Gwen kicked off her shoes, unstrapped her pistol, and sent out the order for a set of Silverback Armor in Colonel Titus’s measurements to be sent to his ship at once.

At the thought of her meeting, Gwen’s mood slumped. She’d been hit on before by clients, sure, but this…This hadn’t been flirting or a lingering handshake. Colonel Pallin had basically assaulted her while her colleague looked on and said nothing.

Gwen grabbed the shot glass and poured herself a shot. Throwing her head back she revealed in the warm burn of the alcohol sliding down her throat. Pulling off her dress and tossing on yoga pants and a tee-shirt Gwen sat down in the uncomfortable desk chair and poured another shot. _Fucking pervert_ , she seethed tossing back more of the vodka. _Whatever. I have all night to forget._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was largely inspired by personal experience. And with sexual harassment finally getting notice in the news, it felt fitting to address it here. If something like this has ever happened to you, whether or not you choose to address it, please. Talk about it. Sometimes just finding out you're not alone can make a huge difference to someone. 
> 
> And sorry for the cliff-hanger. I promise our knight in red plates will be making a bigger appearance in the next chapter ;)


	5. Drunken Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asinus – Palaveni word for an idiot or fool 
> 
> Spiritus Auream – A spirit of Palaven’s sun, Trebia. While not personified like human spirits with a physical body, these spirits are said to be made of pure, golden light, and are immensely powerful and revered.

Tassius had just finished his rounds and was headed out of the weapons locker when Officer Sareris suddenly appeared like a storm cloud in a clear sky.

“Kabalim.” Sareris greeted with a respectful bow. “Everything in order?”

Tassius nodded politely, though inwardly he was flicking his mandibles in irritation.  The rest of the crew had written Sareris off as an irritating curmudgeon, and Tassius had been content to do the same and ignore the older man. But, despite his distrust of biotics, and less then professional attitude toward the Cabal, the gunnery officer would often attempt to catch Tassius while on rounds and bring up his separatist conspiracies, or else complain about things which Tassius had no power or interest in changing.

 “Officer.” Tassius made to walk past him, but Sareris followed. Seeing no way out of the inevitable conversation, Tassius stopped his stride and straightened his back, clasping his hands behind him.

“Kabalim, we have a serious problem.” Sareris began.

“Do we now. With what?”

“The Hierarchy and Council may be willing to pander to these humans, but the audacity of that yellow furred pyjack cannot be tolerated aboard this vessel. Do you know that she’s been telling the rest of the crew that I’m a Susan?” Sareris leaned closer to him, subharmonics vibrating in irritation and conviction.

“She needs to go. She’s bringing down the crew moral and probably spying on us for the Alliance.”

Tassius sucked in a sigh and squashed down his secondary vocals, which were more than happy to tell Sareis to take his racism and paranoia elsewhere.

“Officer Sareris, Ms. Kedar has been an exemplary crew member thus far in her tour. She performs her duties well, and without hesitation and is most certainly not bringing down the crews’ moral. Let us not forget that our races have been at peace for decades now, and that the Council has even appointed a human Spectre.”

Sareris’s vocals screamed in outrage, despite the older man’s apparent attempts to reign them in. “You call yourself a proud Taetrun? While you fawn over that human sh—”

“Officer Sareris, unless you have a genuine complaint to levy against Ms. Kedar that is unrelated to her species, then this conversation is _over_.” Sareris’s subvocals hummed to a stop. He bowed stiffly to Tassius before quickly turning on his heel and walking in the opposite direction.

 _Raciest old asinus_ , Tassius thought. Spirits only knew what the man said about _him_ behind his back. Sareris was outspoken in his belief that Tassius was too young for his citizenship tier, and his distrust of the Cabal unit was common knowledge. _Perhaps he is a Susan, whatever that is._

Tassius shook his head before checking the time on his omni tool. Seeing his shift was over, he decided to take some data pads to his favorite alcove window for some relaxation.

Sareris had put him in a foul mood and when that happened, the only remedy was the soothing verses of Ela T'Ravi. He had read nearly every single one of her poems, sometimes more than once, and took comfort in being wrapped up in her enchanting words.

Stopping by his quarters to grab a data pad of her work, and confident he wouldn’t be disturbed at this hour, he took the elevator up to the third level of the ship and his alcove window.

His mind wandered to Gwen. He hoped she felt comfortable enough to talk to him about whatever had happened at her meeting. He’d be willing to help however he could.

Reaching the third level, Tassius headed for his reading spot. But, as he approached, he noticed a leg dangling off the padded ledge.

Clicking his mandibles in concern, he sped up his gait and quickly rounded on Gwen Kedar, laying in an impossibly twisted position against the glass. Her long, golden hair was strewn over her face and chest, her eyes were closed, and mouth slightly parted.

He might have thought she were merely asleep if not for the strong burning smell of alcohol. Rumbling in confusion, he cautiously reached out a hand and shook her shoulder. Gwen mumbled and swatted at the offending appendage without opening her eyes.

Tassius changed tactics and ran the back of his hand over her face, moving some of the hair away from her eyes. This time, blinking blearily, she opened her eyes and stared at him in apparent bafflement.

“Tash-sius? Shure in muh room?”

Tassius pulled his mandibles against his face. _How much did she drink?_ He wondered. “I’m not in your room, Gwen, you’re on the third level of the ship. You seem to have passed out in one of the windows.” _My window_. _Was she looking for me?_

After a long pause, Gwen muttered an “Oh.” She struggled to sit up but was uncoordinated in her movements. Acting on impulse, Tassius reached out and grabbed her arm to help her. Her arms were bare, and her skin was impossibly smooth. He would have been more intrigued if he weren’t so concerned.

“Gwen, what happened this evening?” He asked as gently as he could. Gwen stared at the floor, her hair forming a blonde curtain against her opposite cheek.

“I had to meets wit some peoples. Work stuffh.” She eventually slurred. He waited for her to continue, but when she remained silent, he purred gently in encouragement and sat down next to her, placing his data pad off to the side.

“What happened at this meeting?” He asked.

Slowly, Gwen turned her amber eyes toward his face, more hair falling over her shoulder as she moved. Tassius was struck, not for the first time, by how lovely she was. Not just for a human, though surely, she must be a great beauty by their standards. But, the shine of her flaxen hair in the ship’s lights in contrast with the black depths of space outside was mesmerizing, and she almost appeared to glow. _A Spiritus Auream, gracing me with it’s presence._   

“She wouldn’t stoop touchin’ me,” Gwen interrupted his thoughts. She lacked the secondary vocals of his people, but even he could hear the sorrow in her voice. Her eyes, clouded from liquor but still soulful, pinched closed. “And, an, she, was callin me sweetie. And dear. An she kept touchin me!”

At this point, a sniffle interrupted her story and Tassius gently put his hand on her shoulder in a sign of comfort he’d seen other humans and asari use. “It’s alright.” He assured her with a gentle purr. After a moment Gwen looked at his hand, though made no move to shy away from him. Looking up to his face, eyes swimming in unshed tears, she asked, “Why Tassius? Wha did I do, fer her to keep, keep touchin me?”

He was at a complete loss for an answer since he had no idea who “she” was, or what had happened, other than some other woman had been touching Gwen against her wishes and calling her condescending pet names.

“She, sha,” Gwen tried but then quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Tassius prayed to all the Spirits of the 26th Cabal that she didn’t vomit in his favorite reading spot.

“How about we go back to your room so you can lie down?” He suggested.

Thankfully, she nodded her head gently and holding onto his arm for support, she let him lead her to the elevator.

“Yer nice Tassius. Is why… part of why… I really lick you.” She informed him as they walked. “An yer plates don, don’t look like blood. They look… like fire.”

He wasn’t quite sure what to make of this comment, but figured it sounded enough like a complement to warrant a “thank you,” and soft smile.

However, it seemed that this statement had turned the small human’s mood, and while he was happy she was no longer depressed and despondent, he wasn’t sure how to respond when, having reached the elevator, she turned to him and with a huge smile asked, “can I call you Hot Plates?”

“I, umm… why?” He asked stupidly.

“Because yer hot. An have plates. Like fire.” Gwen put her pointer finger in her mouth only to quickly pull it out again, and pointed it at him while making a strange hissing, sizzling sound.

At a loss, Tassius only stared down at her, mandibles twitching in mild amusement and confusion. _She thinks I’m attractive? Really?_

Taking his silence for permission, as the two stepped into the elevator, Gwen asked, “Hot Plates, do you read…poems?”

 _Ah. So she did notice_ , he thought, recalling every time he’d caught her glancing at his reading materials.

“Yes, I like poetry. I find it’s a good way to relax and disengage my mind from the minutiae of my military duties.”

While not necessarily a secret, his love of poems wasn’t something he advertised, either. The Hierarchy, and turian culture in general, was strict in its adherence to duty and discipline. However, no one much cared what people chose to do in their time off if it didn’t affect their work. While some might think his interest odd, it was his, and he didn’t feel he needed to explain himself to anyone.

“Are dose poems?” Gwen asked, noticing the data pad in his left hand for the first time. They had reached her quarters and Tassius was wondering if he’d have to convince her to lie down when absently he acknowledged her question with a simple “yes.”

Gwen’s eyes lit up, hazy as they were, and chuckling to himself, Tassius helped her to her bed without any fuss. But, as he finished pulling the blankets over her, she reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Tash-sius? Will you read to me? Yeh have, a, a, really purty voice.” _You think my voice is pretty? But shouldn’t you get some sleep?_ he thought. But when he looked to her face and saw the hope there, he couldn’t deny her this simple request. Not that he really wanted to. Especially when she’d been so upset earlier. _I’ll need to find out what happened tomorrow_ , he reminded himself as he took a seat in the comfy chair near her desk and flipped on the data pad.

He began with his favorite piece in this collection, a sonnet about the Blessed Forest on Thessia. As he read, he glanced down at Gwen every few minutes, a look of pure serenity in her eyes. _So beautiful_ , his mind sighed.

After reading several more poems, he noticed she’d fallen asleep. Mandibles flicking out in a tender smile, he stood from the chair and sparing his sleeping beauty a final glance, turned off the light before leaving her room.

***********

Gwen shuffled into the dining commons with a Krogan sized headache. She wanted water, aspirin and food, not necessarily in that order.

After getting back from her horrible dinner meeting with the Colonels, she’d fallen headfirst into her birthday vodka, and despite waking up in her own bed, she seemed to remember being on the third level of the ship and talking to Tassius.

 _Please don’t let me have said anything stupid_ , she silently prayed as she poured a glass of water with shaky hands.

“Hello, Gwen. Did you sleep well?” Prenia greeted far too jovially. Gwen winced and gave a grunt by way of an answer. Prenia’s mandibles flicked up in a grin. “How long have you been asleep for?”

“I dunno, like, nine hours?” _Not long enough_.

“It’s amazing that humans can sleep so long in one go. I don’t think I’ve ever slept that long consecutively in my entire life,” Prenia mused, taking a gulp of Kava, or as Gwen liked to think of it, turian coffee.

“Kabalim Malolin has been worried about you, I think.” Prenia said casually, as if this news weren’t Earth shattering. Gwen felt the blood drain from her face.

“Why is he worried about me?” She swallowed, while internally wracking her brain for every foggy memory from the night cycle before.

Prenia hummed and flicked her mandibles up in the turian equivalent of a shrug. “I don’t know, but he’s been walking by your quarters more frequently than usual and on one occasion he seemed like he was trying to listen through the door.”

 _Oh God, I DID do something stupid_. Gwen suddenly felt even worse. “Is he on duty?” she asked, attempting and failing to sound nonchalant.

Prenia flicked her mandibles again. _It’s not like she’s obsessed with him like you are, why would she know his precise schedule_ , her mind scoffed at her.

“Well, I should probably go find him,” Gwen said grabbing some beef jerky for her breakfast. Invictus might have been a ‘turd colony’ as her father said, but at least they had decent levo rations for her to requisition.

“Are you still going to give me dance lessons later?” Prenia called out as Gwen turned to leave.

“Of course! But if it’s alright with you, can we do it later in the night cycle? I need some time to…” _sleep off the rest of my hangover?_ “take care of some business stuff.”

Prenia chirped her agreement and Gwen made her way further down the hall before pulling up her omni tool of the crew schedule. Tassius was, indeed, on duty, despite _The_ _Steadfast_ still being docked on Invictus until the evening.

According to the schedule, he was in the docking bay, overseeing a new shipment of Phaeston Riffles for use in the Cabal. Hoping most of the crew were enjoying shore leave, Gwen headed for the bay, determined to fix whatever damage she’d done in her drunken stupor the night before.

Finding him hunched over a large weapons crate, clad in his standard Cabal armor, Gwen approached and cleared her throat to get his attention. When he saw her, he flared his mandibles in a large smile. Gwen felt herself relax a little. _Okay, so he doesn’t seem mad at me, at least._ Remembering he was still on duty, she bowed her head politely before saying “Kabalim, I heard you may have been… concerned about me?”

Tassius glanced around the docking bay and assuring himself no one else was nearby, he stepped closer to her and in a low voice asked, “are you doing alright?”

“Yea, I… Let’s just say I’m not doing any more business dinners alone.” Gwen said with a sigh.

“What happened?” He seemed so genuinely concerned, that despite her worries of looking pathetic, or incapable, Gwen relented and told him the whole, sordid tale. About Colonel Pallin basically propositioning her, Colonel Titus being apparently oblivious to the whole thing, and her failure to get both Colonel’s to try out the armor.

Tassius listened, making low, guttural vocals when she described how the Colonel kept running her bare foot up Gwen’s thigh. When she had finished, Gwen gave a mirthless laugh. “Some birthday. Pretty sure my brothers wanted me to have fun with that vodka, not get pity drunk.” 

“Do you want me to say something to Colonel Pallin’s superiors?” Tassius asked, seriously. “That type of behavior is completely unacceptable, especially while she was acting in her official capacity.” He growled a deep, angry sound. “I wish you’d told me you were meeting with her, she has a somewhat unsavory reputation for aggressively pursuing anything with a pulse. Even if her advances are unwelcome.”

Gwen was stunned at both his offer and the anger radiating through his subvocals. “Tass—Kabalim, thank you, but I…” Gwen bit her lower lip. While a part of her would _love_ , for that dirty old bitch to get a dressing down from her superiors, she didn’t want Tassius to have to get involved. No, she would take care of this herself.  

She sighed. “No, it’s alright.” Then squaring her shoulders and looking him in the eye she said, “as far as Hahne-Kedar is concerned, she’s a useless waste of time.  And her superiors will be informed of why our company has that belief.”

Tassius stared at her for a moment, mandibles slightly flared and a soft hum coming from his secondary larnax. _Was he proud?_

 “As you wish.” He said. Then, seeming to remember something else she’d said, he tilted his head and asked, “is it typical for humans to give gifts on birthdays?”

Gwen was surprised for a moment before remembering that turians didn’t really celebrate the date of their births. “Yes, it’s common for friends, family and significant others to give presents to someone on their birthdays.”

Tassius looked like he was mulling this information over when they both noticed several crew members walking in their direction. With a bow and another gentle hum, Tassius walked off toward the new arrivals. Gwen let her gaze linger on his trim waist and long legs before slowly heading back to her quarters. They were still on shore leave, and Gwen wasn’t on the work rotation until the following cycle. Plenty of time to grab some more rest, do some reports, and give Prenia that dance lesson she’d promised.

It was with a much happier attitude that Gwen walked through the elevator doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked Tassius's POV. Hit me up on tumblr @wafflesrock16


	6. My Spiritus Auream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scortum – sexual predator or whore
> 
> Spiritus Auream -- A spirit of Palaven’s sun, Trebia. While not personified like human spirits with a physical body, these spirits are said to be made of pure, golden light, and are immensely powerful and revered.
> 
> Aureola – A special type of crown formally worn by high ranking turians centuries ago. Resembles a halo. 
> 
> Coelum – The turian version of heaven, where the spirits of Trebia dwell
> 
> Dea -- A word taken from the asari, loosely translates to Goddess

Tassius had spent most of his day shift going over and cataloguing new weapons and armor for use in the Cabal, as well as for use by the regular soldiers. He was tired by the time he’d eaten a quick lunch and made it back to his quarters. However, sleep was farthest thing on his mind.

Gwen really was an incredible woman. He couldn’t think of many others who could still manage to work around that type of disgusting behavior. The fact that she had convinced Colonel Titus to try out the Silverback Armor was incredible, given the harassment she endured at their meeting.

He hoped that Hahne-Kedar informed Colonel Pallin’s superiors of her atrocious behavior. That _scortum_ needed to have some repercussions. Spirits be damned if her brother was the C-Sec executor on the Citadel. His sister was making their entire species look like perverted rapists.

Tassius settled into his desk with a firm shake of his head. This wasn’t the mind set to be in for what he wanted to do. Pulling a blank data pad out of his desk drawer, he leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. After several moments of quiet, he began to type.

***********

In was the beginning of the evening cycle when he found Gwen in the workout lounge. The area was spacious, and used for weight lifting and occasionally sparring. Though as a Cabal, Tassius had never personally entered a sparring match. Not when his potential opponent knew Tassius could Reave them through the ceiling.

Prenia and Octa were also in the lounge, wearing loose fitted clothing and attempting to mimic Gwen’s very flexible hip movements. He wasn’t sure what type of ritual or dance Gwen was teaching them, but he’d be lying if he said watching the small human twist and move around in a set of very short pants and cropped shirt wasn’t doing anything for him.

 Tassius suppressed a thrumming growl, reminding himself that he still wasn’t sure if she was interested in him romantically. She acted like she was. He certainly hoped she was. But, then again, she was a human, and he’d never attempted to court a member another species. _Or any of you own, really._ He shook his head lightly. Gwen had said enough to him the other night to give him the courage to at least find out if she was interested in something more than friendship.

  As he approached the three dancers, Octa noticed him first, and immediately came to attention, giving him the claw salute. While Prenia didn’t salute him, she also came to attention.

  Gwen, however, gave him a huge smile and started to walk over to him until noticing her compatriots and assuming a parade rest similar to Prenia. Tassius flicked his mandible up in amusement, rumbling an “at ease” to them. While Gwen likely couldn’t hear his subvocal command, she copied the other two women in relaxing her stance.

  “Kabalim, is there something you need from me?” Octa, being in the Cabal, wasn’t wrong to assume that out of the three she’d be the one he’d be looking for. However, in this instance, his focus was solely with Gwen.

  “No, Krebs.” And giving her a polite nod he added “I’m off duty at the moment, as are you. Your time is your own.” Octa relaxed a fraction, but seemed confused. Before she could ask why he was in the lounge while still in his armor, Tassius turned to Gwen.

“I have something for you.” Gwen’s eyes lit up in what he took to be curiosity. “It’s… a birthday present. Of sorts.”

He heard Octa and Prenia rumble a teasing laugh in his direction before clamping down on their respective vocals.

 “Well, I don’t know about you, Octa, but I’m sore all over. I don’t know humans do this ‘Zumba’ dance without dislocating a hip.” Prenia said.

  “How about we hit the showers?” Octa suggested.

“Aww, quitting already?” Gwen asked with an exaggerated pout.

“Afraid so,” Prenia answered. “But, I’d love to try again another time.”

  “Me too,” Octa said.

“Deal!” Gwen agreed, as both women headed off in the direction of the showers.

Alone at last, Tassius felt his nerves begin to falter. Gwen was looking at him expectantly and he was starting to wonder if this was a mistake. He’d written poems for people in the past, but he’d never actually read them out loud to the recipient. But she’d said she liked his voice, so shouldn’t he read it to her? _Is it too much?_ His mind raced. _Are poems even an appropriate birthday gift?_

“Tassius?” Gwen was starting to look concerned. Or at least that’s what he took her creased brow to mean. _Damn it you coward! You’re a decorated Kabalim and highly ranked soldier. You can read a poem out loud to a pretty girl._

Straightening, Tassius brought the data pad in his hand up to reading level. “It’s uh… I wrote you a poem.” He said softly and inwardly cursed himself for how shy he sounded.

Before he lost his resolve, he began to read the verses he’d already committed to memory:     

_Oh, Spiritus Auream_  
_Drenched in the light of providence_  
_Your eyes searing with divine love eternal_  
_Hair an aureola of the sun’s giving light_

_Warmth becomes you, Spiritus Auream_  
_But you cannot be real, for to grace a mortal wretch such as I_  
_In your good favor and glowing eyes of amber gems –_  
_But I darest’ not question my fortune_

_I will not ask you where you came from_  
_I will not ask you why you have come_  
_Treasure of coelum, to bask in your radiance_  
_Aglow in your smile, lovelier then all the suns and all the stars_

_Let me stay by your side_  
_Let me brush my brow to yours_  
_Let us just be, like real people do_  
_My dea, My love, My Spiritus Auream_

Tassius, slowly lowered his data pad only to have Gwen fly into chest, arms around his neck, feet struggling to touch the floor. He chirped in surprise, before wrapping his arms tightly around her back and lifting her off the ground in a hug to twirl around in a circle. Her laughter was infectious, and he found himself giggling like a fool as he set her back on the floor.

“Tassius, that was, that’s… that is the most beautiful thing, anyone has _ever_ given me.” While her eyes were filled with moisture, he was aware humans cried when they were happy as well as sad and her smile left no doubt in his mind that she was pleased with his gift.

He purred gently, as he tenderly caressed her cheek with a finger. “I’m happy you like it.” He pushed the data pad into her hands which were still pressed against his chest. “It’s yours,” he said simply. And the look she gave him truly was lovelier then all the suns and all the stars.

************ 

Gwen spent the rest of the night cycle with a huge smile plastered across her face. She’d read over Tassius’s poem at least a dozen times and every time she finished, she was left grinning ear to ear.

But, as she got ready for bed, feelings of doubt crept their way into her thoughts. Was he really interested in her…sexually? His poem certainly threw the word “love” around a bit and mentioned wanting to rub brow plates together.

Gwen realized she’d never been in the position of doubting whether someone whom she was interested in reciprocated the sentiment. She was considered beautiful by human and indeed, asari standards. And with her outgoing, fun loving attitude she usually had quite a few admirers. If she returned their feelings, then a relationship, or at least a date, had followed quickly enough.

But Tassius was a turian. And turians had a reputation for being a lot more… casual, then humans when it came to sex and dating. She wondered if that meant Tassius only wanted to be friends with benefits. Though if that were the case, why go to all the effort to write her a poem? Gwen frowned into her empty room.

She needed to know for certain what, exactly, Tassius was after. If he wanted to actually try dating, or was at least willing to keep a physical relationship exclusive while it lasted, well… _Who am I kidding, I’d love having something more with_ _him_.

Pulling her fatigues back on, she walked out of her room in search of Aurelius. If she wanted answers, without having to straight out ask Tassius what his intentions were, then Aurelius was the man to ask.

She found him in the dining commons with another member of the Cabal, Tiberius, if she was recalling correctly and the two men were hunched over Aurelius’s omni tool, laughing at something.

Gwen cleared her throat as she approached. “Hey guys. Whatcha looking at?” Both turians flared their mandibles wide and Aurelius immediately covered his tool with a hand.

“Nothing interesting,” he attempted to lie.

“Okay… Umm. Aurelius, can I talk to you about something?” He tilted his head, rumbling in slight confusion.

“Oh course.” He glanced over to Tiberius and said something with his subvocals. Catching on that this was a private conversation, Tiberius politely excused himself to go get some Kava.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, really. I just, uh, had some questions about…” _interspecies sex? Does Kabalim Malolin want me in that way? Is he sleeping with anyone else on the crew?_

“Uhhhh,” Gwen felt like an idiot. This was a terrible idea. She should have taken more time to think things over and then asked Tassius these questions herself. But, faced with Aurelius’s intense stare, she figured she’d come too far to turn back now.

“Is Kabalim Malolin, you know, umm, seeing anyone?” She could feel the blush burning her ears.

Aurelius’s mandibles went slack before pulling back to his face in a shit eating grin that even she could recognize. _Oh God_ …

“When you say, ‘seeing anyone’ do you mean is he screwing anyone?” He was clearly enjoying this conversation far more than she was.

Gwen sighed, rubbing her hand over her eyes. “Yes, that’s what I mean. Is he screwing anyone, dating anyone, involved romantically with anyone.”

Aurelius’s rumbling laugh was obnoxious and she scowled at him. “Sorry, I’m sorry,” he quieted himself. “But, uh, no, to all your questions. The Kabalim is single, and hasn’t ‘blown off steam’ with anybody on board as far as I know.” He leered at Gwen. “Why so curious about his personal life?”

“I’m sure you know why,” Gwen stated flatly. _Fuck it, if this is going to be awkward might as well go all in_. “Has he… ever been involved with a human, before?”

Aurelius had apparently settled into the conversation topic and while still amused, wasn’t outright laughing at her anymore.

“Don’t think so. It’s pretty common for biotics to date outside the species though.” _Ah, right, the whole social stigma_ , Gwen thought sadly.

“When you say that turians date outside the species, how do you mean?”

“Like, define dating? Well, sex, usually, but also spending time together, sharing interests, exclusively being with someone.” Aurelius scratched the back of his neck. “How do humans define dating?”

“About the same,” Gwen admitted, before finally asking the question she’d been thinking about all night. “Do you think Tassius, the Kabalim… would be interested in dating me?” She hoped it didn’t sound pathetic. But, if she was going to pursue this, she wanted to be sure and not ruin a perfectly good friendship and working relationship.

Aurelius was grinning again. “I do. In fact, I’m pretty sure he would _love_ it if you went to his room to… say goodnight.” Despite her resolution to embrace this uncomfortable conversation, Gwen’s mouth drew into a tight line and she was pretty sure her entire face was beet red.

“Right. Thanks Aurelius.” She got up to leave, but Aurelius held up a finger.

“Actually, Tiberius and I were just watching something that might help you out.” Gwen heard her omni tool ping with whatever file Aurelius had sent her. “You might want to take a look before you go… see the Kabalim.”

 _It’s going to be porn_ , a part of her warned. “Aurelius, is this porn?”

He looked affronted. “It’s an adult _film_ , if that’s what you mean. But, yes, there is sex involved.”  He gave her a grin as he steepled his fingers on the table. “You can thank me later.”

Gwen narrowed her eyes at him. _Maybe it’ll give me some ideas_ , a devious part of her mind suggested. Gwen shook her head at Aurelius before giving him a small wave good night and heading back down the hall, ignoring Tiberius’s knowing mandible flick.

Well, it couldn’t hurt to peek at whatever Aurelius had sent her. And, hey, maybe Tassius was free and willing to watch a vid with her tomorrow. Mind made up, she opened her tool as she closed her door and sent Tassius a ping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya'll liked Tassius's poem. And just a heads up, next chapter is very NSFW ;)


	7. Something More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW 
> 
> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other

Tassius ground the back of his hand into his eye while he waited for his Kava to cool off enough to drink. He’d struggled to fall asleep during his night cycle rest, as usual, but then he’d received a ping from Gwen that had rendered the notion of sleep entirely void.

She had asked him if he’d ever seen the movie _Last of the Legion_ and if not, if he’d like to watch it with her when he got off shift the next day. He hadn’t seen this particular vid, but Aurelius and several other crew members had advised him it was good. He’d eagerly responded that this sounded like a fantastic idea, but when she’d suggested they watch it in _his_ quarters, his brain had momentarily shorted out.  

While Tassius wasn’t entirely sure how different human courtship was from turians, this suggestion had sounded like a come-on. After thinking about it for a moment, he’d said that sounded like a fine plan. But, after hitting send, he’d spent the rest of the time he should have been sleeping researching human dating customs. And, okay, yes, he’d also maybe looked at some fornax vids, just in case things went… _really_ well.

He sighed as he took a drink of his Kava. His late-night viewings had assured him that sexually, humans and turians were more than compatible and that interspecies sex between the two races was extremely satisfying.

He didn’t have any Levo allergies and as far as he knew, Gwen didn’t have a Dextro allergy. She’d accidently drunk some Kava her first week on _The_ _Steadfast_ and there hadn’t been any consequences, at least.

No, what was gnawing at him was what came with the sex. Did she want an exclusive relationship? To be his _amicae_?  Or just some casual tryst? She seemed like she wanted something more than just sex. At least, he did. While Tassius certainly had utilized the Hierarchy’s more lenient stance on crew relations to ‘blow off steam’ in the past, that wasn’t really what he was looking for now.

For him, sex without the emotion behind it was purely in the interests of self-care. It was almost mechanical, and while sometimes necessary to prevent himself from going stir crazy, he always felt slightly dirty afterwards, if he was being honest.

Gwen wasn’t a subordinate, which already alleviated one of his typical concerns. She wasn’t put off by his biotics either. And she was fun and intelligent. Good with a sniper rifle. Had beautiful hair the color of the morning sunrise on Taetrus… he shook his head.

Yes, he definitely wanted to sleep with her, but, only if she returned his feelings. Gwen was to stay onboard for the remainder of the ship’s tour, which was several more galactic months. After that… well, he’d likely be stationed back on Taetrus and he wasn’t sure what she would do. _Maybe she’d come with me? Integrate Hahne-Kedar Armory with the Taetrun military depot?_ He was getting way too ahead of himself.

They’d watch a vid tonight, he’d find out what kind of relationship, if any, she wanted with him, and if they both wanted the same thing… Spirits only knew he’d watched more than a few human/turian fornax vids. He was confident he could make her feel good.

Checking the time on his omni tool once more, he finished his Kava and went to attend to his duties.

**********

Gwen checked herself in the bathroom mirror for a fourth time. She’d taken a nice, hot shower and done a full deep conditioning treatment for her hair. She hadn’t bothered with makeup, apart from some mascara, and was wearing her standard navy and black Alliance issue fatigues.

Now, running a hand over her silky soft, dried hair, she wondered if there was something else she should do. Should she put on a nice dress or something? Lord only knew she’d brought plenty with her for client meetings. _You’re watching a vid, not going to a 5-star restaurant_ she mentally berated herself. They were just going to watch a vid. In his room. Alone.

Gwen tipped her head back and huffed in frustration. This wasn’t her first experience with intimacy, so why the hell was she so concerned? _Because he’s not human?_ Her brain suggested. Well, sure, that was a part of it, but honestly, she’d come to really like Tassius, regardless of his species. And those deep red plates of his had really grown her.

 _What if he doesn’t like what he sees_? She wondered as she exited the head and made her way toward the elevator. According to Aurelius, Tassius hadn’t been with a human before. Would it be too different for him?

She’d looked at the vid Aurelius had sent her, which was definitely porn, not a ‘film’ in any sense of the word, and she had noticed some… differences, between herself and the female turian ‘actress.’ Her vagina certainly wasn’t plated for starters.

Gwen had opted to have all her pubic hair, leg hair and underarm hair lasered off a year ago, so at least she wouldn’t have to explain _that_ to Tassius. _Maybe he’s more familiar with human anatomy then you think?_ She could hope anyway.

Gwen had also glanced at some medical diagrams of a turian penis. Which was... eye opening to say the least. Though, the slight upward curve and soft ridges that ran along the underside had started to get her a bit hot and bothered. _At least I know I’ll like what I see,_ she thought.

She rode the elevator up to the third level of the ship where Tassius, the Captain, and XO Officer’s quarters were located. _Bigger then my little closet_ , she noted as she paused in front of Tassius’s room. Nervously, she tapped on the door, only to have it fly open immediately.

Tassius wasn’t wearing armor for once. He was clad in jet black leggings with silver clasps, and a dark black tunic with cloud grey accents running up the sides. The effect made his already slim waist look even thinner, and the colors went nicely with the deep reds of his plates and brown of his hide.

At some point, Gwen realized she was staring at him with a smirk on her lips while considering if his pants clasps meant “easy access.” Snapping her eyes up to meet his, she was slightly surprised to see him admiring her in a similar fashion.

Gwen smiled. “Looking good, Tassius. You look nice in civvies.”

Tassius flared his mandibles in a soft smile before stepping back so she could enter his quarters. “Thank you,” he said. “Your hair looks especially soft and radiant this evening.”

 _An odd compliment_ , _but hey, I’ll take it_. “Thanks,” Gwen replied, looking around his room. It was far larger then hers, with a big, bowl shaped bed piled high with differently shaped pillows in the center. There was also a large desk and two sets of drawers.

To say the place was immaculate would be an understatement. There were data pads stacked evenly on the desk in three piles, with a small holo image off to the right, and the blankets on the bed were folded perfectly. She imagined all his clothes and uniforms were neatly pressed and folded in his drawers.

Tassius cleared his throat. “I’ve set up the vid screen,” he motioned to the wall facing the bed. “If you’ve got the movie, I can transfer it to the big screen?” Gwen flashed him a smile and transferred the vid file over to his tool.

While Tassius busied himself setting up the movie, Gwen walked over to his desk to peer at the holo. It appeared to be a family photo. Tassius and two older looking turians and a younger female turian with light brown plates. None of the others sported his ginger red plating, though.

“Is this your family?” Gwen asked with real interest. Tassius glanced up from his tool and nodded when he saw her pointing to the holo picture. “My mother, father and younger sister.” He confirmed.

“How old’s your sister?”

“She just turned eighteen,” he replied as the vid screen on the wall flickered to life.

“What’s her name?” Gwen asked walking over to settle herself on the bed.

“Livia,” he answered, sitting down next to her and hitting the play command. “You said you had brothers?” He asked as he pushed several plush looking pillows behind his back.

“I’ve got a set of older twin brothers. Theodore and Remington. We call them Teddy and Remy. They’re idiots, but I still love them.” Tassius chuckled at her.

“My sister is as smart as they come,” he said with pride radiating out from his subvocals. “She’s a tech prodigy. She’ll probably be a very wealthy and accomplished woman someday.”

“Your family sounds like they’re close,” Gwen suggested.

“We are, I suppose. I always make time to see them when I’m in Vallum.” His tender purr spoke more about his family’s bond then any words, and Gwen marveled at how similar they were, despite being from different star systems. With a content smile on her lips, she settled in as the vid began to play in earnest.

**************

About an hour into the vid and Gwen had to struggle not to laugh at the over the top acting. Tassius, however, looked like he was really enjoying it.

One of the side characters was a Cabal and unsurprisingly, Tassius paid the most attention to his parts, at times making comments like “that couldn’t ever happen,” or “that actor clearly isn’t a biotic, otherwise he’d know how impossible that is.” But, during the prelude to the big fight scene, the Cabal character made a comment about how his parents hadn’t chosen to have a powerful biotic for a son only for him to be a coward, and Gwen noticed that Tassius’s mandibles were pinched tightly to his face in a look she’d come to associate with being upset.

Gently, she reached out and touched his arm. “Hey, you okay?” He looked startled for a moment, like she had pulled him out of some deep thought, but the tension in his face eased and he gave her an embarrassed flick of his right mandible.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Just… lost in thought.”

A question had been bothering Gwen since her conversation with Prenia and Aurelius when she’d first come aboard _The_ _Steadfast_. “Tassius?” He turned to look at her. “I was wondering… and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to… but if there’s such a social stigma to being a biotic, why – ”

“Why did my parents choose to expose me to eezo?” Gwen felt her stomach twist. That was essentially her question, but when he said it like that, it just sounded cruel.

Tassius sighed. “It’s alright,” he said, probably noticing how uneasy she appeared. “My mother was a researcher at a chemical testing facility. They had an accident in the lab she was working in, a massive chemical spill of eezo and other stuff. She was fine, but…”

He trailed off, looking down at his hands in his lap before he went on. “She didn’t know she was pregnant. She wouldn’t have been working in that part of the lab if she’d known. When they found out, everyone was worried something would be wrong with me as a result of her exposure. The doctors told my parents there was a chance I’d be a biotic, or have some biotic abilities, but otherwise, preliminary testing was fine.”

His mandibles pinched back to his face. “The doctors also told my parents if they terminated the pregnancy, they could try again, with a lower risk of having a biotic child. But my mom and dad wouldn’t hear of it.” He purred softly.

“My mom quit her job at the research facility and went to work full time with my dad at our family’s… ‘Bed and Breakfast,’” he tried out the term Gwen had taught him. “And I had a wonderful childhood, full of laughter and joy.”

“I manifested exceptionally powerful biotics well before I reached fifteen,” he continued. “The Hierarchy took an interest and put me in the Cabal, but I scored so highly on my field tests and written tactical exams that they promoted me to Kabalim fairly quickly."

He turned to look at Gwen. “I may be a biotic, but I’m also a whole lot more.” His mandibles flared in pride.

Gwen hadn’t noticed she’d been leaning in closer to him until he’d turned his head. Their faces were now mere inches apart. The smile on Tassius’s face slowly dropped away, but he didn’t move his head. Gwen could feel more than hear a low, thrumming sound coming from deep in his chest.

The ball was in her court. He was letting her choose if she wanted to pull away or try something. Slowly, she inched her face closer to rub her smooth brow against the plates of his forehead, like she’d seen the turians in the fornax vid do. _The turian equivalent of a kiss_ , she thought. She felt Tassius’s sharp intake of breath, before a deep, rumbling purr, that radiated through their connected foreheads.

Without, breaking their physical connection, Tassius angled his head to the right, to create more contact. Gwen followed suit, moving her face so that she was nuzzling his cheek. Tassius gently stroked a mandible against her face as his purring grew louder.

Feeling bold, Gwen moved her head back and planted a sweet kiss on his mouth plates. His lip plates were stiff, but not without give. They reminded her of thick rubber in both texture and feel. Enjoying the sensation, she cautiously licked his slightly open mouth and gasped softly when his tongue rushed out to join hers.

He tasted like clove, nutmeg and ozone, with something else slightly tangy and all his own. He wrapped his long blue tongue around her own stubby pink one and pulled slightly, a small whine joining his purr. Gwen moaned and pressed herself against his chest, reveling in his taste and how warm he felt.

Tassius reached up to run a bare, taloned hand through her long hair. His other hand came to rest on her lower back and pulled her closer. Gwen reached up, still exploring his mouth with her tongue, and slid her thumb behind a mandible, rubbing gently at the softer flesh she found there.

Tassius broke the kiss to gasp, still clutching her to him. His pupils were blown wide in lust and he was slightly panting when he spoke, his main vocals dueling for dominance with his purring, thrumming subharmonics. “Gwen, I, before we go any further,” his mandibles flared out as though he were trying to collect his thoughts. “I want you, but I want more than just sex, I want... I want to _be_ with you.”

Gwen could feel the smile in her voice as she answered, “I want that too, Tassius. I really want something more with you. I don’t know the turian term, but, I’d like to be exclusive. To date, call you my boyfriend.”

She wasn’t sure if any of that translated into the answer he was seeking, but when he surged up against her, wrapping his long arms around her to roll them over so he was on top of her nuzzling and licking into the crook of her neck, she figured she’d given the correct response.

Spurred on by the feel of his large body over hers and the way he was gently rocking into her groin, Gwen reached up to remove his tunic, determined to feel his bare plates and hide against her skin.

The clasps on his outfit, as it turned out, were the opposite of “easy access,” and she let out a frustrated huff at not being able to release them. Sensing her irritation, Tassius drew back with a winded chuckle, before pressing his forehead to hers. “How about I do mine and you do yours?” He offered.

Grinning, Gwen pushed up gently on him and set to work pulling off her own shirt, bra, boots, and pants, until she was left in nothing but her underwear. Looking back up to Tassius who was standing at the foot of the bed completely bare, made her smile turn into something far darker.

She’d seen him naked before, but this was different. This time, he was naked solely for _her_. His plates, which she’d once thought looked like they’d been soaked in blood, shown in the light of the vid screen, and reminded her of hot steel freshly pulled from the forge. And as she let her gaze drop lower, she noticed that his pelvic plates had separated and that the tip of his blue cock was plainly visible. 

Tassius had the body of a predator, with talons and sharp teeth, but as he crawled back into bed and positioned himself over her and between her legs, the emotion in his crimson eyes was pure affection and excitement.

 Her hand reached up to apply pressure under his fringe, like she’d seen the female in the fornax vid do. Tassius groaned, and laved a hot trail of moisture from her clavicle to behind her ear.

There were still too many barriers between them, and she raised her hips to grind her clothed core against his pelvis. She was already soaking her underwear, and on an upward stroke, she could feel that his cock had come completely out of his plates. The moan he let out at the contact was delicious.

Tassius threw his head back while his hand slid down her torso, stopping at her panties. “These need to go,” he rumbled in a voice all but consumed by his subvocals. Gwen couldn’t have agreed more.

“Take them off,” she panted, and he obliged her by shredding the flimsy material in his talons. Lowering his head once more, he ran his tongue over one of her already pert nipples, while dragging the back of his talon over the other.

Gwen mewled, writhing beneath him and gripping his cowl. Determined to make him feel good too, she licked a trail up his neck, before nipping him and sucking, in an action that would have left a hicky on a human partner.

Tassius moaned in the back of his throat, before taking his exploration of her body lower. He licked and nipped his way down her torso to her hips, while one hand continued to pinch and pull at her nipple. _Guess I wasn’t the only one who did some research._ She hazily mused.

He paused at the juncture between her legs, mandibles flaring slightly, as though he were taking in her scent, before using his face to gently urge her legs further apart. Gwen followed his silent request and spread her thighs, watching with trepidation as he stared at her womanhood for a moment. Looking back up to her with dark eyes, he rumbled “You’re going to taste and feel amazing.”

Before she could respond, his long, narrow tongue flicked out and ran the length of her slit. Gasping Gwen threw her head back against the mattress. Clearly enjoying her reaction, he repeated his ministrations, but this time swirled his tongue against her clit, causing her to arch up into his mouth.

Encouraged by this, he dove his long tongue inside her and curled it, while the hand that had been playing with a nipple reached down to grind a knuckle against her clit. He continued with this action several times, until a warm, tingling sensation began to form in Gwen’s abdomen.

 “Tassius, fuck!”

He growled darkly at her, raising his head and caressing a mandible against her thigh. “Does that feel good?” He asked her, mandibles glistening with her fluids while he used the pad of his finger to play with her sensitive nub.

 Gwen reached down to pull his face up to hers. She was close to an orgasm, but wanted him inside her when it happened. As he crawled back over her to nuzzle her neck, she reached down between them and gave his thick, ribbed member a firm stroke. Tassius gasped into her hair as she whispered into his aural canal, “You’re going to feel amazing.”

Pushing his hips down so that his rigid cock brushed against her weeping folds, he rumbled into her ear, “ready?"

Gwen arched up against his pelvis, her wet flesh brushing against him. Rearing back on his haunches to position himself, Tassius slowly placed his cock at her entrance, and began to push inside.

He was big, Gwen had noticed that immediately, but not freakishly huge. A little over eight inches if she had to guess, and self-lubricating. As he disappeared inside her, she threw her head back and gently canted her hips up to help his entry.

When he was fully sheathed inside her, he dropped down onto his elbows to rub his forehead against hers and give her a chance to adjust to him. To say he felt incredible would have been an understatement. She felt full in a way no other partner had made her feel before, and the slight upward curve to his dick combined with that ribbing already had her vaginal walls fluttering in anticipation.

As her hands explored his neck, fringe, and shoulders, she slowly began to rock her hips into him. Moaning, Tassius buried his head in her hair as he began to shallowly thrust back against her.

Having fully adjusted to him, Gwen angled her hips to wrap her legs around his slim waist and on a hunch, squeezed the unplated area as hard as she could. The effect was immediate. Tassius’s hands gripped the sheets on either side of her head as he began to thrust and pound into her in earnest.

He felt incredible, and each time he hilted himself, his cock hit that special place inside her, causing her whole body to tingle with pleasure. Her nipples were rubbing against the plating on his chest and between that, and the sexy growls and flanged moans Tassius was making, she felt the knot in her lower abdomen tighten. She gripped Tassius behind his fringe, determined to orgasm with him. Tassius groaned loudly, before shakily stating “I’m close. Spirits, I’m so close!”

Gwen unwrapped her legs from around his waist and canted them back as far as she could, allowing him to hit even deeper. With a sputtered string of words her translator couldn’t decipher, Tassius thrust twice more, fast and hard, hitting that special place just right. Gwen fell over the edge with a scream, her blunt nails digging into the soft hide behind his fringe.

Tassius let out a flanged roar, before pulsing a deep blue. She felt him empty his seed inside her just as an energy shockwave snapped out, knocking all the data pads off his desk and rattling the metal drawers in his room.

He collapsed on top of her, catching himself on his elbows so he wouldn’t completely crush her. His cock was still pulsing deep inside her and Gwen noticed that it felt like he was swelling up. Too exhausted to move, she looked up into his sated eyes and caressed his cheek and left mandible with a hand. Tassius leaned into the touch, still panting hard, but looking utterly peaceful.

Slowly, he bent his head down to nip her lips in his version of a kiss. Gwen hummed, deepening the kiss by pushing her tongue into his mouth. Tassius pulled away first releasing a winded chuckle.

“Spirts, Gwen, that was amazing.” His purr, which had never left, rose in volume. “Thank you, for that.” He nuzzled her brow.

“Yeah, that was amazing for me too,” Gwen agreed with a satisfied smile. “Have you ever been with a human before? Because damn!”

He laughed and wrapping an arm around her rolled onto his side, taking her with him. Gwen noticed that they were, indeed, locked together at the crotch. She pulled away slightly, only to have Tassius press against her lower back and bring her hips back flush to his.

“So,” Gwen started, “We’re uh, tied together?” Tassius looked confused for a moment before the light of realization shown in his eyes.

“Humans don’t knot?” At her head shake, he made an embarrassed sounding chirrup before saying “well um, turians do. When the sex is particularly good… along with a few other factors… our penises swell up at the base and lock us to our mates for about 20 to 30 minutes. Is, uh, does that bother you?”

The look of concern on his face was endearing. Truth be told, Gwen should have researched turian/human sex more than just watching a fornax and glancing at a medical diagram of a male turian’s genitals. She was many things right now, content, sated, sweaty, but not bothered.

She smiled at Tassius reassuringly before pressing her brow to his. “It’s different, but I actually kinda like it.” She told him.

Gwen felt Tassius relax against her. “So, was this your first experience with interspecies sex?” She asked him.

Tassius huffed, but replied, “Yes. And I’m not complaining.” He leaned his head against her neck and drew in a deep breath, and Gwen wondered blearily if he was smelling her.

“Me neither.” she said lazily, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Though, I do have to ask about the biotic surge.”

Tassius gripped her back a bit tighter before pulling his face out of her hair to look at her. “It… happens sometimes. Not often. I,” he glanced away, and Gwen swore his neck was flushing blue. He sighed, looking to her again. “I have perfect control over my biotics, but sometimes, when I’m really… enjoying myself, they flare up.”

Gwen leaned in closer to kiss his mouth. “It doesn’t freak me out or anything. I was just curious.” She grinned. “Actually, knowing I could get you riled up enough to have that happen is kind of flattering.”

Tassius chuckled, bringing their brows together. “I’m glad.” He said softly. Gwen wondered if this had happened with any of his past partners and if they’d been upset and accused him of not having his abilities under control. For someone as proud as Tassius, that would have been incredibly insulting.

Gwen snuggled up against him further, feeling his member pulse inside her again. _Fuck, this knotting thing feels amazing_ , she thought dreamily, gently rocking her hips into his. Tassius hummed softly, running a hand through her hair.

A thought occurred to her, and while slightly embarrassing, she felt she needed to ask. “Tassius?” He rumbled in response. “Can I, eh, stay here until you go back on duty?” He pulled his face back to look her in the eyes.

“Of course.” He replied. “You said you wanted more than just sex, right?” His subvocals stuttered from their steady purr into an uncomfortable whine.

“I want to be with you,” she confirmed. “And only you. As much as possible.” She gave him a shy smile, which was ludicrous considering their current position, before saying, “I just didn’t want to assume turian relationships were the same as humans. I wasn’t sure if it’d look bad if we both left your room together.”

Tassius flared out his mandibles in a wide smirk. “As long as we perform our duties well, nobody cares where, or in whom, we put our genitals.” He returned to nuzzling her forehead, a favorite thing of his apparently, before adding, “you can stay here as long as you want.”

Gwen kissed his mouth before settling in against him as the vid credits began to run. She’d eventually need to clean up the mess she was sure would be making itself known once Tassius’s knot went down, but for now, she enjoyed being wrapped up in the warm, tender embrace of her boyfriend.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time writing smut. And there's a lot more to come. Huge thank-you to squiggly_squid for reviewing this chapter and giving me feedback. And if you like Sharkarian, totally give her fic series "Parable" a read =)


	8. The Scent of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW
> 
> Spiritus Auream -- A spirit of Palaven’s sun, Trebia. While not personified like human spirits with a physical body, these spirits are said to be made of pure, golden light, and are immensely powerful and revered.
> 
> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other
> 
> Quadrupes Graditur – A turian sex position similar to “doggie-style”

Tassius awoke to the sound of his omni tool chime. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so soundly, or for a full four hours. But, as he rolled over onto his side he came face to face with the still sleeping, ever beautiful Gwen Kedar. Her eyes were shut, lashes fanned out against her cheek. Her mouth was slightly open, and her long hair was spread out over the pillow and behind her like a golden bird’s wing.

Tassius purred softly. _Truly my Spiritus Auream._ His body still ached pleasantly with memories of last night and he reached out a hand to run it gently against her smooth face. She sighed at the contact and slowly opened her umber eyes.

“Hey,” she said groggily.

Tassius smiled. “Hello.” He responded. Gwen lifted her arms up behind her head, before arching her entire body in a stretch that would have been impossible for a turian to emulate. Yawning, she looked to his face with more alert eyes.

“So, what are you up to today?” She asked. Tassius reached out to pull her into his arms.

“We’ve had reports of Batarian slavers in the area,” he stated. “The Cabal and a few soldiers are being sent down to one of the planets in the system to make sure that there aren’t any captives being housed there.”

Gwen moved to look him in the eye with a creased brow and concern plain in her features. “It’s nothing I haven’t done dozens of times before,” he reassured her with a purr. “Besides, these are just reports we’re following up on, not hard leads.” He felt her body relax in his arms and he indulged himself in burying his face in the crook of her neck to take in her scent. Citrus from her hair soap, a sweet musk all her own, and _him_.

Suddenly he gasped, as her small, clever fingers ran against his groin plates. “What time do you need to be ready by?” She asked, her eyes dark with mischief and lust.

Tassius considered her offer and reached over to check his omni tool clock. He always set his alarm an hour early, and his paranoia was finally proving itself useful as he growled with desire and pulled her face to his for a human style kiss that was mostly tongues.

“I have enough time for round two,” he told her, his subharmonics beginning to drown out his primary vocals in anticipation.

Her hands ran up his cowl and over the hide on his neck. Gwen broke their admittedly sloppy kiss to suck on his mandible, and Spirits! But that felt amazing. Feeling as though he were making her do all the work, he dipped a hand beneath the blankets and searched until he came into contact with her damp folds. He deftly ground a knuckle against the bundle of nerves at the top, and was rewarded with a loud moan and Gwen arching into his hand.

She dug her nails into the tender flesh beneath his fringe and he growled, moving to position himself over her. “Tassius,” he looked down to her flushed face. “How well can you control your biotics in close quarters?” He felt his subharmonics fade, as a low rumble of irritation replaced his purr. _I told her that wasn’t a common occurrence_ , he thought with a twinge of embarrassment.

Seeming to sense his thoughts, Gwen reached up with both hands to cup his face, and in spite of himself, his purr returned. “I don’t mean about last night,” she clarified. “I was thinking it might be fun to use your biotics for some… creative positions.”

Tassius cocked his head, “What do you mean?” He asked, intrigued but still wary.

Gwen pushed against him gently, encouraging him to let her sit up. He moved, and she sat kneeling on the bed. “Do turians have the equivalent of doggie-style?” she asked.

Having no idea what ‘doggie-style’ was he stared at her blankly. Gwen must have found this amusing because she grinned at him, before turning around on the bed and assuming a position on all fours with her spectacular ass in the air, and her glistening core on full display.

Tassius felt his pelvic plates part as his cock began to swell and emerge from its sheath. Gwen peered at him over her shoulder. “This position,” she said. _Apparently quadrupes graditur is called ‘doggie-style’_ he noted for later.

He reached out to grab her hips and position himself behind her, before leaning forward to whisper in her ear, “we definitely have this position.”

He reached a hand between her legs to continue his ministrations against her already wet flesh, and reveled in her moans. Feeling his cock fully emerge from his sheath, he removed his soaked hand to run the tip of his member against her folds. Gwen cursed something under her breath and canted her hips back in search of the friction he was teasing her with. Not wanting to waste more time when he could be inside her, Tassius positioned himself at her entrance and slowly pushed into the wet, warm paradise between her legs.

Coming flush, he forced himself to hold still so she could adjust to his size. Her walls squeezed him, and he gasped, wondering if she’d done it on purpose and marveling at her muscle control. Only when she started to rock against him did he begin to move with slow, deep thrusts, relishing the way her cunt hugged his cock each time he fully hilted himself.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been fucking her in this position, awash in the smell of their combined arousal and her breathy gasps, but at some point, she began to push her body up off the bed to recline against him. “Use your biotics,” she panted. It took him a moment to remember their earlier conversation.

“How?” He asked, still seated inside her.

“Can you put me in a singularity?” She questioned.

Well, of course he could. She practically weighed nothing. “Yes,” he answered, feeling the energy pulse out of his hands where they gripped her slim waist. Forcing himself to concentrate, he gently lifted her into the air and almost entirely off his cock before mentally grabbing the biotic connection to anchor her into place.

“Now fuck me,” she commanded. Something about the situation and the complete trust she was placing in him and his biotics kindled his passions with new fire, and grabbing her immobile hips he pulled her back down onto his cock and began to slam up into her.

Despite not being able to move as she floated at his mercy, Gwen gasped and swore before her cunt spasmed around his member in a powerful orgasm. Mandibles flared wide in pleasure, Tassius began to vibrate his biotic field around her as he felt his own completion drawing near. Determined to pull another orgasm from her, he continued to pulse his singularity against her supple flesh until she screamed out his name and fell limp against his biotic field.

Pumping up into her quickly several more times, he pulled from her quivering body to ejaculate onto his bed sheets. He would have loved to knot with her again, but didn’t want to risk being late to address the Cabal for their mission debrief.

Releasing Gwen from the singularity and wrapping an arm around her so she didn’t crash back down onto the bed, he held her against him as they both panted and attempted to collect themselves.

“Wow,” she breathed. “That was amazing.”

He had to agree. He’d never intentionally used his biotics during sex. He didn’t engage in the activity very often anyway and when he did, it was for a quick release. Additionally, even with the few partners he had shared an emotional connection with, he’d sensed that using his biotics would not have been looked upon favorably. But Gwen was… different. He felt he could truly and freely be himself around her and she wouldn’t judge him.

Gwen twisted in his arms so that she was facing him. Gently, she nuzzled her forehead against his, and he felt his scent glands release in response to the contact. While she didn’t have scent glands of her own, the fine sheen of sweat that seemed to concentrate around her scalp was very reminiscent of a female turian’s scent glands, and he basked in their combined smell.

All too soon, he had to get ready for duty. Reluctantly, he pulled away from his _amicae’s_ tender embrace and went to his drawers in search of his under armor. Gwen busied herself getting dressed in her clothes from last night, laughing when she found her ruined underwear.

They rode the elevator together down to the first level of the ship before parting with a subdued forehead nuzzle. Gwen headed for the showers with an easy smile and a wave. Allowing his gaze to linger on the lovely curve of her tiny waist until she rounded the corner, Tassius turned toward the weapons locker to get into his armor and address his team.

    *******************

Gwen sighed as she collapsed into her uncomfortable desk chair. This morning had been fantastic, even if she was a bit sore and tired. While showering, she’d noticed that her thighs were a bit raw from where they’d been rubbing against Tassius’ plates. Nothing medicated lotion couldn’t fix though. _Totally worth it,_ she thought. Who would have known that professional, poetic Tassius was such a sex god? _Definitely going to be having more fun with those biotics of his_ , Gwen smirked as she turned on the terminal at her small desk.

Noting a new email from her Father concerning her meeting with Colonel’s Titus and Pallin, Gwen frowned, but opened it anyway.

_Guinevere,_

_Colonel Titus has given an enthusiastic endorsement of the Silverback Armor for use amongst the Hierarchy’s ground troops. A few more reports like this and the one from Kabalim Malolin, and we’ll be ready to present our sales offer to the Hierarchy requisitions office with a contract all but assured._

_As for Colonel Pallin, if that perverted old dinosaur EVER comes near you again, I will slap a sexual harassment suit on her faster than you can say “dishonorable discharge.” After your report of what she did, we looked a bit further into her military history and it turns out there have been several reprimands for “behavior unbecoming of a senior officer.”_

_As it stands, Hahne-Kedar has filed a report stating that she was ignorant to the needs and requirements of the troops under her command, and declining to have any future business dealings with her whatsoever. Hopefully the appearance of professional ineptitude will get her a more severe reprimand since clearly, she can get away with sexual harassment._

_Let me know if there are any other actions you feel you, Hahne-Kedar, or myself should take. You are far too intelligent and professional to have to suffer with that crap._

_I love you and am incredibly proud of you,_

_Dad_

Gwen smiled through the tears that had started to form. She might be accused of being a “daddy’s girl,” but hearing that her hard work was paying off and that her father was proud of her meant more to her than words could say.

Wiping a hand at her eyes, Gwen determined to make the most of the time Tassius was gone, and to attempt to secure more endorsements to present to the Hierarchy. And she knew exactly who to speak with next.

Captain Tenzen Vallokius was an austere man, but one who always had an open ear when it came to things which might help his crew, or his men better perform their duties.

She found him on the bridge, staring out the front window into the freckled blackness as the crew went about their work.

“Captain,” Gwen greeted with a respectful head bow when he turned to look at her. Unclasping his hands from behind his back, Captain Vallokius casually walked up to her so that they could speak without having to raise their voices.

An older man with black plating and yellow colony markings on his chin and mandibles, the Captain seemed to give off an air of calm authority as he regarded her. “Ms. Kedar. Something you wish to discuss?”

Gwen felt herself straighten and assume a parade rest. “Yes, Captain. If you have a moment, I was wondering if I could speak with you about having some of _The Steadfast’s_ vanguard soldiers try the Silverback Armor on their next mission.”

The Captain flicked his mandibles gently, but otherwise maintained a perfect poker face. Even after being around turians so long, and sleeping with one, their faces were still incredibly hard to read at times.

After what seemed like ages, the Captain tilted his head off to the side before stating, “several soldiers are going planet side with the Cabal to investigate reports of slavers in the vicinity. I will put in the order that two of them shall be outfitted in Hahne-Kedar Silverback Armor.” He nodded to Gwen as he turned to admire the window once more. “I have read Kabalim Malolin and Colonel Titus’s reviews and believe your armor deserving of a test run.”

 _Wow, he’s been keeping up on the reports?_ Gwen had sent the Captain copies of the reports she’d garnered more as a curtesy than anything else. She hadn’t expected for him to take the time to read them. “Thank you, Captain.” She said humbly, before turning to leave for the weapons bay to outfit the selected soldiers in their gear.

“Ms. Kedar.” Gwen stopped to turn back toward the Captain. “I am pleased to see that you have truly embraced a full emersion into turian culture.” His mandibles flared out into what was definitely a smirk before he added, “the Kabalim is a good man.” He then took several long strides in the opposite direction, missing Gwen’s mouth fall open in shock.

********************

Having outfitted the two soldiers selected to try the Silverback Armor, and discovering they were excited to experiment with the new gear, Gwen headed to the dinning commons for a late breakfast before assuming her daily assigned duties with inventory.

Gwen had tried not to stare at Tassius as the soldiers and Cabal headed for the shuttle bay, but Tiberius had looked over his shoulder just in time to catch her checking out the Kabalim’s waist and ass, and shot her a shit eating grin.

She was now pondering on how to take revenge on both him and Aurelius, for apparently being the biggest blabbermouths the universe had ever known. She wasn’t ashamed of Tassius, far from it. He was an intelligent, accomplished solider and leader. _With one hell of a dick_. She shook her head. At least Captain Vallokius thought their union was a good thing. If she was reading into his comments correctly, anyway.

Turian/human couples were no longer taboo as they had once been some thirty-odd years ago. In fact, they were becoming common place as more and more humans left the Sol system in search of adventure and a better life on other planets and the Citadel.

Hell, the Primarch of Palaven’s own brother was married to a human woman. If that didn’t speak volumes to cross-species relationships, Gwen didn’t know what did. And truly, in her time aboard _The Steadfast_ , she’d begun to realize that for the most part, turians treated humans like any other Citadel species. Perhaps it was merely the humans still back on Earth who assumed the turian population regarded them as greedy children. She’d certainly been treated with nothing but respect and professionalism. Well, except for Susan. But there were always “Susans” in the universe, be they turian, human, or something else.

No, she was happy to call Tassius hers. Just irritated that Aurelius and his buddy were apparently gossiping about it with literally everyone. She passed Prenia in the hall as she made her way to the dinning area. Prenia bowed her head in greeting, before subtly flaring her mandibles and twitching her nose. Suddenly, her mandibles pulled back into a huge smile.

Gwen narrowed her eyes. “Is there something you’d like to share?”

Prenia began to make a tweeting laugh. “No, just,” the other woman fought to regain her composure. “There’s going to be more than a few disappointed people in engineering. I’m pretty sure Nero was going to make a pass at you this evening during your shift.”

 “Nero? The guy who’s always talking about Clawball? Wait… what do you mean disappointed?” _Who on this ship didn’t those bastards tell?_

“Well, I mean, the Kabalim’s pheromones are pretty clear. You two are obviously exclusive and there’d be a big problem if someone didn’t respect that.”

“What pheromones? Do I smell? It’s obvious we’re exclusive?” Gwen mentally raced to make sense of Prenia’s statements, while her friend looked torn between laughter and concern.

“When turians are romantically involved, we scent mark our partners,” Prenia explained. “If the relationship is casual, the smell doesn’t really linger and isn’t too strong. But, if it’s an exclusive, romantic relationship, the pheromones are quite potent, and can hang around for days.”

 _The forehead rubbing!_ Gwen had assumed it was just the turian version of kissing, but apparently there was a lot more connected to it.

“You truly didn’t know?” Prenia asked, a concerned whine in her subvocals. “Are you upset?”

“No…” Gwen started as she tried to parce out her feelings. “I mean, I guess I’m not mad, just a bit embarrassed. But, if this is normal for turian couples, then I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.” Gwen seriously regretted not washing her hair when she’d showered. Maybe the smell wouldn’t have been so strong if she had. But then again, if this was a normal turian thing…

“Scent marking is just a typical part of courtship for us.” Prenia stated, probably watching the emotions flow over Gwen’s face. “All it signals is that ‘this one is taken,’ and don’t bother.”

Gwen supposed that made sense. Kind of like an engagement ring in human culture, though less serious. “I’ll… get used to it.” Gwen said, shaking her head slightly. _Makes sense why no one gossips about who’s sleeping with who, everyone can smell the answer!_ She thought.

“And here I thought Aurelius and Tiberius told everyone.” Gwen admitted.

“Oh, Aurelius has been telling people. He’s been betting you and the Kabalim would get together since your first week onboard.”

With an exasperated sigh and eye roll, Gwen and Prenia headed for the dinning area. Perhaps there were some things Gwen could be doing to help cement her relationship with Tassius from a turian perspective. Either way, her friend was about to get peppered with relationship questions, and Gwen felt excited to learn the answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to Squiggly_Squid for both reviewing this chapter and being my sounding board for weird biotic sex questions. And if you were wondering about the bit where Gwen muses that the Primarch of Palaven's brother is married to a human, it's because I am borrowing from the lovely Saphistar's fanfic "Cobalt," because I love the idea of the Hierarchy's head honcho being related to a human.


	9. Licking Our Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possible Trigger Warning: Violence and description of Gore
> 
> Nothi – A colloquial Taetrun word, basically means “bastards”

Edolus was an abrasive, dust-choked world. The sky was a putrid looking yellow, with meteors plummeting through the haze toward the sand and rock-strewn surface below.

Tassius checked the seals on his helmet for a third time. Spirits forbid any of the sand and dust get into his nose or between the gaps in his plating. Glancing at the rest of his team, which consisted of the Cabal and five vanguard soldiers, Tassius hummed in mild concern.

 _The Steadfast_ had detected an abnormal amount of activity on the planet. More than would indicate a few mercenaries stashing weapons. The chances that there were a large number of captives being held here was looking more likely, and his team was buzzing in anticipation and nervous excitement.

Tassius shook his head. “We have reports of batarian slavers to the north of our current location.”  he informed them. “Tactis, Magna, scout ahead. Everyone else, follow fifty paces back.” His team all nodded and clicked in understanding, as the two scouts went forward.

He wasn’t sure how long they’d been tripping over the uneven ground when suddenly, the sound of gunshots rang out. “Move!” He commanded, and the team broke into a run. Over the top of a rocky hill, Tassius spied the two scouts crouching low behind a pile of debris as a group of mercs in Blue Suns armor focused heavy gunfire on their position.

“Barrier!” Tassius ordered. Octa and Aurelius shrouded themselves in the familiar blue glow before drawing their weapons. The rest of the Cabal did the same, as the vanguard soldiers assumed a flanking position. “Lay down heavy suppressive fire! Agustan, hit those _nothi_ with a singularity, Surculus, you too!”

Drawing his Vindicator, Tassius shrouded himself in a biotic barrier before taking aim at the two hapless mercs caught in singularities. Without hesitation, Tassius shot both batarians in the head, as the other three gunmen crumpled under the combined biotics and gunfire of his team.

Advancing toward the scouts, and seeing both soldiers no worse for wear, Tassius signaled the rest of the team to converge on the large steel prefab the mercs had been guarding. Finding the door locked, Octa moved forward without needing to be told and began to hack the lock.

The heavy door slid back with a groan, revealing a large, empty room littered with crates and cages. Suddenly, one of the soldiers standing at his two cried out as a shot hit him directly in the shoulder.

“Take cover!” Tassius yelled through the comms, charging forward and diving behind a crate. The air exploded in a chaotic storm of gunfire and biotics, as the concealed mercs blasted them with machine guns, while the sound of rifle fire and biotic charges thundered around him.

The advance was slow. There were far more mercs then turian troops, and the mercs had the additional advantage of well-placed snipers. Several of the Cabal and soldiers reported hits, but none brutal enough to force them to stop fighting.

Grabbing the last merc with a biotic throw, Tassius flung him like stone against the steel wall of the prefab, hearing the satisfying crack of bones which signaled his enemy was no longer a concern.

“Forward!” Tassius commanded. Clearly, there was something worth protecting in this place or else the mercs would have simply fled at the sight of so many Hierarchy troops. Keeping close to the walls of the long hallway, and communicating with hand gestures, Tassius and his team arrived at another large room.

But this room was different. Where the first had been littered with cargo crates and trash, this one was strewn with bodies. And not batarians. Tassius warily stepped up to the quarian who was lying on his back in a pool of blood with his helmet smashed. There was no face to speak of, only a tragedy of gore and soft tissue.

He glanced around to see his team scanning and investigating the rest of the victims - mostly quarian - who lay strewn about the room in various states of horror, limbs twisted, and voices silenced forever. Weapon drawn, Tassius growled in barely contained fury. Dead. They were all dead. Men, women and young children. Rounded up into a room and shot point blank in the face. Probably while he and his team were dealing with the other mercs out front.

Something on the body of the quarian in front of him caught his attention. Crouching down, Tassius pried the poor man’s hand open to reveal a small, cylindrical object. The thing seemed to be emitting a faint whirring sound. _This almost looks Prothean,_ he mused, before stowing the object on his person.

Finding no survivors, Tassius turned his gaze to a small door which likely led outside. Opening his comm, Tassius connected to the _The Staedfast_.

“This is Kabalim Malolin. We have discovered a mercenary base with multiple hostiles. All captives are deceased. Requesting a scan of the immediate area for enemy vessels.”

“Affirmative, Kabalim. Scan will commence immediately.” Closing his comm, Tassius flared blue, encompassing himself in a barrier before signaling his team to move for the door. As they filed outside, weapons drawn against the tepid sky, Tassius spotted a large ground vehicle, reminiscent of a human designed Mako. It appeared to be idling while its occupants struggled desperately to activate its canons.

“Don’t let the guns get online!” He all but roared, using his biotics to propel himself forwards. Focusing his mind, he felt the energy around him shift to something far darker, as he threw a powerful reave at the tanks main cannon. Whatever technical problems were preventing the guns from firing, was also interfering with the tanks shields. In an explosion of fire and biotics, the cannon bent backwards in a smoldering mess of blackened metal.

The rest of the team surged forwards and descended on the vehicle. Octa and Cyrus went to work to override the tanks locking mechanism while the other soldiers destroyed the wheels.

“Cabal! Barriers, now!” Weapon pointed at the door and biotic barriers at full force, Tassius braced for gunfire.

The following explosion was one no one had expected. What must have been over a dozen high explosive grenades went off at once, throwing Tassius backward with the force of the blast. The tank turned into metal shrapnel, and Tassius watched in slow motion as fiery chunks of steel and debris flew through the air, breaking through Plalio’s barrier and impaling him through his chest. Octa screamed through the comm as the force of the explosion seared away the armor on her chest and arms, exposing her plates and hide to the inferno.

Hitting the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of him, Tassius’ vision blurred as he scrambled to his feet and tried to focus through the ringing in his ears. All around him were burnt steel and the bodies of his teammates, most struggling to crawl away or stand.

Tassius opened his comm, which despite heavy static was apparently still functional. “ _Steadfast_ , we need immediate medical assistance, repeat, immediate medical assistance!” Tassius shouted into the comm as he made his way over to Octa. He let out a loud, whistling hiss of dismay. She was breathing, to be sure, but the damage to her chest plates and arms was extensive. Her body was charred a horrific black and she was struggling to lift her arms, likely to remove her helmet.

“Don’t move Krebs!” Tassius ordered, subvocals resonating authority. “Medical evac is on the way, they’ll take off your helmet without causing more damage.” Octas' hands stilled before dropping heavily back down at her sides.

Convinced she’d lay still until help arrived, Tassius stumbled over to Plalio, whose blue blood was pouring out of his chest wound at an alarming rate. “I need medi-gel, now!” Tassius barked to anyone close enough to listen. Aurelius limped over to him, handing over his own supply.

Tassius lathered the stuff onto Plalio, who was gently rocking his head back and forth in a combination of shock and pain. Tassius tried to hum to the injured man, though his subvocals sounded shaky, even to his own ears.

After what felt like centuries, Tassius finally heard a shuttle. With palatable relief, he looked up to see _The Steadfast’s_ medical evac descending on their location.

 _Spirits of the The Steadfast, please, keep them alive. Let them fight another day._ He silently prayed as the shuttle landed and the medical crew rushed out.

****************

Unlike Alliance ships, when calamity struck a turian vessel, it seemed the crew became less anxious, and instead, collectively zeroed in on their orders. In this case, setting course for the Citadel at full speed, so that the grievously wounded could receive intensive medical treatment.

Why would Blue Suns mercs kill all their captives before committing suicide?  It didn’t make any sense. There had to be something else to all this.

Gwen had wanted to go to the infirmary, but understandably, no one was being allowed to visit at the moment. She had been told Tassius was alive and not too badly injured, but Octa and Plalio were in rough condition.

Mind consumed with worry for her friends and boyfriend, Gwen almost missed the fact that she had wandered into the weapons locker. Until, of course, Susan reminded her.

“If you’re here to fret over that armor Tactis and Caiso were ‘borrowing’ it’s still in the infirmary.” Susan informed her, the usual venom in his subvocals. “Now leave. Some of us have actual work to do before we’re forced to the Citadel.”

“Fuck you Susan!” Gwen felt her hands curl into fists at her side. “And it’s nice to see that having nearly the entire ground team in intensive care means nothing to you, you outdated, raciest old bitch.”  Gwen flipped him off with both hands.

“I am NOT a Susan!” Susan bellowed, as he stormed forward to tower over her, his jaundice yellow eyes wide in rage. “And you are just an arrogant human whom the Hierarchy has indulged for far too long! Palaven may turn a blind eye to your people’s greed and the needs of its own colonies, but – ”

“Officer Sareris! Ms. Kedar!” The ship’s XO was exceptionally tall and lanky, even for a turian. His beige plates shone nearly white under the artificial lights as he strode over to them. Turning to Susan, Executive Officer Procolus fixed him with a stern look, mandibles pinched against his face and an angry sounding subharmonic echoing in his chest loud enough for Gwen to hear.

“Attend to your duties Officer Sareris. Your concern with Ms. Kedar, and the Facinus literature that has been found in your possession appear to be impacting your ability to work.” XO Procolus gave a low growl. “If you cannot perform your duties and continue to embrace separatist ideology, you will be dismissed from service. Do I make myself clear?”

Susan had apparently lost all his momentum at the mention of his Facinus writings, whatever those were. He looked more nervous than Gwen could remember and bowed low to the XO. “You are clear, Executive Officer Procolus. I… apologize for my remarks about Ms. Kedar.” With a rumble of acknowledgment from the XO, Susan quietly slunk to the very back of the weapons bay.

Gwen would have felt smug at Susan’s reprimand, were the XO’s eyes not keenly focused on her. “Ms. Kedar. This is a military vessel and you are currently under Hierarchy command. I do not know how the Alliance lets its crew behave, but while here, you will not incite argument or childishly name call.”

Gwen felt herself shrink. He was right. Anxious, upset, whatever, she was a professional and needed to act like one, even if Susan couldn’t be bothered. Her behavior certainly wasn’t going to help Tassius get better.

“Yes, Sir. It won’t happen again.” She gave a low bow.

The XO nodded. “As you were, Ms. Kedar.” But as he walked away, he paused and looked over his shoulder at her. “Kabalim Malolin has been released from the Med Bay.” With a curt nod, he continued off toward the munitions locker.

Everything else fell away and Gwen quickly jogged to the elevator, hitting the controls for the third level. She was banking on the fact that Tassius probably went to his quarters. She hoped he didn’t mind company. She needed to see him. See for herself that he was alright. Touch his plates and run her hands over his crest and fringe.

Reaching the door to his private room, her hand faltered. He hadn’t contacted her when he was released. Maybe he wanted to be alone? Dropping her arm, she bit her lower lip before raising her hand again and knocking.

“Tassius?” She called, hoping she didn’t sound too anxious. The last thing she wanted was to add to his stress. There was no answer, but after another minute of standing there, the door opened.

Without waiting for an invitation, Gwen stepped inside. Tassius was sitting on the end of his bed, naked. He was staring at the floor, arms on his knees, and his entire posture radiated exhaustion and defeat.

Gwen felt her chest ache, and before she knew it, she was sitting next to him on the bed. She wanted to reach for him, but wasn’t sure if turians sought physical comfort the same way humans did when they were upset.

Slowly, she moved her hand, so it rested next to Tassius’s leg, allowing him to decide if he wanted to touch. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, he sighed, a sad keen in his vocals.

He moved a hand off his knee to hold her own comparably small one, giving it a light squeeze. Gwen edged closer, getting up onto her knees so she could wrap her arms around his neck, and nestle her head against his own.

Tassius slowly wrapped his arms around her, caressing a mandible against the side of her cheek before pulling her closer and onto his lap. They sat holding each other. Gwen tracing the soft hide between the plates on his neck and he breathing deeply into the hair on top of her head.

“I made a mistake.” He all but whispered. “And Plalio…” he broke off and a chirp, which slid into the saddest keen Gwen had ever heard left his throat. He took a shuddering sigh before gripping her impossibly tighter. “If he makes it… He’ll never be able to fight in the Cabal again.”

“He’ll make it,” Gwen stated, sounding more confident then she truly was. She had no idea how serious the other man’s injuries were, but if she’d learned one thing about turians, it’s that they were resilient. Perhaps their healing abilities weren’t comparable to a krogan or human, but she was sure Plalio would fight to stay alive until they reached the Citadel and a better equipped hospital.

Tassius gently pulled away a little to regard her with dimmed eyes and mandibles pinched tightly to his face.

“If he can’t fight, he’ll be forced to retire. All because I wasn’t prepared!” He growled.

“This is _not_ your fault, Tassius. Nobody could have foreseen those mercs blowing themselves up like that. And from what I heard, the only reason everyone is still alive is because you ordered the Cabal to put up barriers, which absorbed a good portion of the explosion.” Gwen cupped his mandible as she spoke, utter conviction in her voice.

“You’re a leader, and you had a job to do, and you did it. Your men are alive _because_ of you, not in _spite_ of you. No one can prepare for every possible contingency. You did the best job you could with the information and resources you had. Nobody could have led better than you.”

Tassius sighed again, but instead of arguing, he pulled her close, resting the side of his head on top of hers. Maybe, deep down, he knew she was right. The Hierarchy preached the needs of the many above the needs of the few. If anything, Tassius would be lauded for keeping everyone alive.

But she’d hold him as long as he wanted. She couldn’t heal his team, or make the ship fly quicker, but she could snuggle under his chin and press her warm body to his. Remind him he was alive and cherished and not alone, with gentle fingers and tender nuzzles, until sleep finally claimed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a huge pain for me to write, so hopefully it came out okay. Feel free to drop by and say hello on Tumblr, @wafflesrock16


	10. A Perfect Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Delectamenti – A turian specialty shop on the Citadel
> 
> Taetrus Festum – A fish dish from the turian colony world, Taetrus, notable for its rich sauce
> 
> Salmo – A very large, heavy-scaled, fresh water fish, similar to an Arapaima from Earth. 
> 
> Domine – A polite version of “Sir” used for people outside the military. Generally used for elders. 
> 
> Spiritus Auream -- A spirit of Palaven’s sun, Trebia. While not personified like human spirits with a physical body, these spirits are said to be made of pure, golden light, and are immensely powerful and revered.
> 
> Yuba Sauce – A vegetable and meat stock sauce popular with fish
> 
> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other
> 
> Gradum Nito - The ascension to a new Hierarchy rank

No matter how often she visited, Gwen never tired of the Citadel. The presidium and its lush gardens, gorgeous lake, and perpetual clear sky always put her at ease. Even during the stress that was getting Octa, Plalio, and the other injured team members to Huerta Memorial Hospital.

Tassius had been beyond lucky. He had been right in the center of the blast zone, but his own biotic shields were so strong, that he’d only sustained a concussion and a few bruised ribs. It was the guilt he carried that Gwen was more concerned with.

At least he wasn’t outwardly blaming himself anymore. All turians were soldiers and knew the risks of being on a ground team. Especially in a Cabal unit. But Tassius was worried about Plalio.  He’d accompanied both his team members to the hospital and stayed with them for quite some time. Both Octa and Plalio were going to survive, and Octa would be fit for duty again in a few weeks once her plate grafts healed.

Plalio, however, was still in rough shape, and Tassius was concerned that the injured man would no longer have a career. Tassius had even asked her if Hahne-Kedar might have some type of a job position available for the critically injured biotic.

Gwen wasn’t entirely sure what Plalio’s skill set was, other than defensive biotics, but she promised she’d consider it once the man had been cleared from the hospital. This seemed to put Tassius at ease, and he’d even agreed to spend the next two days of their shore leave at her family’s Citadel apartment with her. Once his Kabalim duties were done of course.

Alone for the time being as Tassius met with the Captain and some other Hierarchy big shots, Gwen glanced around her families’ upscale Kithoi apartment. Whoever her father had hired to keep the place clean had done a marvelous job. The place was tidy, but still felt lived in with the family photos and other trinkets her mother had brought from Earth to decorate.

Her father had purchased the place as somewhere to stay and entertain business associates when he and her mother were on the Citadel. Since Gwen was _technically_ here on business, her parents wouldn’t mind her staying here with her boyfriend.

But that brought up the fact that there was no dextro food — or food at all beyond some dried goods — in the place. Gwen would need to go shopping. And she decided to spoil Tassius as best she could with some actual, Taetrun food. There was a specialty shop not too far away that boasted it had ‘authentic’ cuisine from Palaven, Taetrus, Macedonia, and several other turian colony worlds.

Mind made up, and for once not feeling out of place in a dress that while human, mimicked asari design, Gwen headed out into the glimmering streets of the ward. She’d already pre-ordered her own food to be delivered to the apartment from the popular human-oriented shop several blocks away.

Cheese was her favorite food and after not having any for over a galactic month, she was beyond thrilled to find that the shop had her favorite brand of winnimere cheese, along with figs and crackers. She could only hope that _Delectamenti_ , the turian specialty shop, would have food options Tassius would enjoy, too.

While _D_ _electamenti_ was a small shop, it was apparently quite popular. Turians roved through the refrigerated aisles and Gwen noticed the place smelled faintly of meat, though no kind she’d ever personally encountered. She was the only human in the place, and probably the only other non-turian as she glanced around.

 _The only human, surrounded by turians even when not on the ship._ Humming, Gwen pulled up the recipe and shopping list she’d made for Tassius. She’d attempted to covertly ask him what his favorite type of food was, and he’d helpfully supplied “fish.” She hadn’t asked him to specify for fear of ruining her little surprise.

Though, as she approached one of the refrigerated aisles and looked inside, she really wished she’d asked him to be more specific. Dextro fish was apparently all extremely expensive, and wrapped up in brown parchment paper. The only distinguishing feature was the name written along the sides of the paper in some type of turian script her translator was struggling to decipher.

“Can you even read the names?” A deep flanged voice asked. Gwen looked up to see an older male turian with bone white plates, wearing a set of gorgeous, royal blue robes. His ornate clothing looked a bit out of place next to the garish civilian clothes most of the other customers were wearing. As did his pierced mandibles. Gwen wondered if he was some type of religious figure. _Do turians even have priests?_

“My translator is struggling a bit to make out the handwriting,” Gwen admitted to the elegantly dressed man. When he didn’t move or say anything else, she pushed on, explaining, “I’m trying to make this dish.” She held up her omni tool so the older man could see. “But I have absolutely no idea what type of fish to use, or how to tell if it’s good.”

The older gentleman looked over the recipe before giving a soft rumble. “Taetrun _festum_. That is a delicious recipe.” He informed Gwen. Without waiting for her response, he walked up to the large fridge and scanned the wrapped offerings before selecting a decently sized one and handing it to her.

“Taetrun _Salmo_ tastes best when it is rubbed with herbs and baked for an hour in an oven. You can find the other ingredients you need for the sauce in that aisle.” He pointed over to what Gwen figured was produce and vinegar, before fixing her again with his sharp, yellow eyes. “Do you know what seasonings you need for this dish?”

“Well, I have the recipe,” Gwen repeated lamely, sensing it wasn’t the answer her noble assistant was seeking.

“Follow me,” he said, and without waiting to see if she’d complied, he began to walk to the produce aisle. Gwen trailed after him, noticing that other customers were regarding him with a mix of wariness and respect. _He must be some type of important local figure._ She mused.

The older gentlemen stopped at several different bins, handing Gwen a collection of purple and orange looking plants. He carefully examined each item before handing it to her, without so much as a word.

When he’d loaded her shopping cart with a variety of herbs and oils she’d never seen before, he finally turned to address her again. “Salmo is easily burnt. Do not over-bake it. Use these herbs to season, and these to garnish.” He pointed to the rainbow of vegetation in her cart, glancing over to make sure she was paying attention.

“Thank you,” Gwen responded gratefully. She gave her helper a wide smile. “I really appreciate all your help. I’m still learning to read Palaveni, and my translator isn’t always the best.” Looking down at her cart Gwen grinned even wider. “My boyfriend’s going to love this!” 

For a nano-second - so quickly Gwen wondered if she’d imagined it - the older turian’s mandibles fell, and he let out a soft, sad keen, staring forlornly at her hair. _Did I say something wrong?_ She wondered.

But the older man recovered almost immediately, and shaking his head slightly, causing his golden mandible rings to chime, he said, “I wish you the best in your cooking endeavors,” before turning to head down a different aisle.

Gwen watched after him, slightly confused, before shrugging and continuing on with her own shopping. As she grabbed some other items off shelves, not just for tonight’s meal, but the rest of their stay, Gwen noticed she was receiving more than a few looks from the other customers. _Probably wondering why a human is buying so much dextro food_. Some glances were what she’d come to recognize as quizzical, while other looks boarded on scowls, and were accompanied by subvocals Gwen had heard Susan make when he was forced to interact with her.

Gwen frowned slightly. While becoming more common, human/turian couples were still not as frequently seen as asari/turian couples. Though Gwen suspected by the looks on some of the older patrons’ faces, that anything outside the species would not be welcomed.

She finished her shopping and went to stand in line to pay. Some of the items in her cart were down right bizarre looking. She hoped Tassius liked them though, she’d gone mostly for the items claiming to be from Taetrus.

While looking over her goods, Gwen’s ears picked up on the conversation behind her. It was low, and there were quite a few subharmonics, but Gwen could still make some of it out.

“…must be low ranked to go for such an ugly human.”

“…smells like another…. squishy looking…”

Gwen had become accustomed to Susan’s bigotry. He was one in a crew of nearly three-hundred and no one else had called her ugly or insinuated Tassius was settling for an “ugly, squishy, human.” But for some reason, these two strangers had suddenly made Gwen question whether Tassius actually found her attractive.

She turned to face her critics and was not surprised to see it was an older couple - complete with faded plates and cracked crests - who were gossiping about her. Gwen glared at them until the man finally noticed and must have realized how loud he was speaking. The subvocals vibrated to a stop and he and his wife looked away. _Fucking raciest old people._ Gwen thought.

She left the store in a slightly depressed mood as she headed back to the apartment. _The older generation is the one with the problem, no one your age has said anything._ She reminded herself. _And it’s not even all older people, the Captain certainly approves_ , _and that older gentleman who helped you was nice enough_. Sighing as she walked through the door, she relegated herself to the fact that there would always be racists and bigots in the universe.

 _Fuck um._ She thought. Being with Tassius was worth putting up with some ignorant remarks. He was also worth trying to cook for, and Gwen smiled as she took the dextro fish out of her bag and pulled up her omni tool to see what temperature username Silkypink83 said she needed to bake it at.

************************

Tassius’s ribs ached against the hard shell of his armor. He’d been standing at attention for what felt like hours as he and Captain Vallokius discussed the suicide bombers with General Relius. Far from being disappointed in Tassius, both the General and Captain had praised his foresight in raising the biotic barriers to full power before opening the tank hatch. The General was also extremely interested in the small device Tasius had taken off the dead quarian.

The General turned the whirring, cylindrical object over in his hand. “This is like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” he seemed to say to himself. “It almost looks Prothean, but then the etching up the side is indicative of Geth.”

“Do you think this may have belonged to one of Saren Arterius’s geth?” Captain Vallokius asked with a raised brow plate.

Tassius flared his mandibles in mild shock. True, nothing about their investigation into the slavers on Edolus had felt right, but to think that the Blue Suns may have been involved with Saren and his geth army… Tassius suppressed a shudder. _It would have been an absolute blood bath if that maniac had been there._

“Kabalim Malolin, you stated you found this on one of the deceased captives?”

Tassius nodded to the General. “Yes, General. It was in the hand of one of the murdered quarians. Everything else at the facility was in steel crates. There might be more.”

The General nodded, closing his hand around the object. “If there is a cache of geth technology on Edolus, then it must be removed immediately. Especially if it’s of any relation to Saren’s geth. I shall inform Councilor Sparatus immediately.”

The General bowed to Tassius and the Captain before leaving the embassy conference room, presumably to contact the turian councilor. Captain Vallokius turned to Tassius, a pleased thrum to his subvocals.

“You’re going to get promoted for this.” He said with a knowing look.

Tassius felt his heart rate speed up, though outwardly he maintained total composure. “Do you think so, Captain?” He asked in a casual voice devoid of hopeful subharmonics.

“I do indeed.” The Captain replied. “The Hierarchy has been looking at you for a while now. Despite being a Kabalim, you possess the skills and instincts of a General. Removing that geth device from the Blue Suns’ victim and getting it back to the Council is very well the thing that will have you posted back on Taetrus to prepare for your _gradum nito_.”

The Captain smiled at Tassius. “I will miss having you aboard, but if I am correct, then congratulations are in order. And soon.”

With a final nod, the Captain left the room and Tassius was alone. Releasing his subvocals, Tassius sang out in joy and excitement. He had been hoping for this. Spirits, he wanted this. Not only to advance his own career, but in a way, for all other Kabalims who had been told they’d never get out of the Cabal.

Gaining control of himself once more and remembering how sore he still was, Tassius decided to grab his things from the ship and meet Gwen at her family’s apartment for a relaxing evening. He pinged her to say his meeting was over, and she quickly responded with the coordinates to the apartment, along with another text saying she had a surprise waiting for him.

Tassius flared his mandibles in a wide smile. _I’m a lucky man_ , he mused as he headed for the sky car terminal. However, as he slid into the vehicle he paused before entering a destination. _Should I get something for her?_ He considered. _She is letting me stay at her family’s apartment. And she did get something for me._ He decided it would only be right to bring her a small gift. As a thank you. And, well, alright, he wanted to give her something just from him, to show her that he cared.

 _Where should I go?_ He wondered, pulling up a list of nearby businesses. He didn’t want to get Gwen just any old trinket. He wanted to get her something special. Just then, his eyes alighted on shop called _This One’s Intimate Apparel._ Tassius rumbled in thought.

He’d never been in a romantic relationship serious enough for lingerie to be appropriate. But with Gwen… She was his _amica_. And he certainly felt more for her than he ever had for anyone else. _We will have that apartment all to ourselves_ , a lustful part of his brain chimed in.

Mind made up, Tassius entered the shop coordinates and prepared to purchase his lovely _amica_ something memorable.

He was grateful that the store wasn’t overly crowded. There was an asari couple giggling over some sheer lace looking dresses, and a volus critically eyeing a price tag on a box of something. He could hear another person in the back room moving things around, but otherwise, the place was relatively quiet.

Unsure where to begin, Tassius made his way to the back wall and began to peruse the lace offerings. _What would she look best in?_   He wondered, picking up a tiny blue set of panties. He was so engrossed in his decision, that he hardly heard the footsteps approaching him as someone walked up to look over his shoulder.

“Fun evening planned?” A duel toned voice asked.

To his credit, Tassius didn’t jump at the sudden sound, or drop what he was holding. Letting his subharmonics express his irritation at being startled, he turned to address the nosy bystander.

The man was huge. Even by turian standards. And judging by the cracks in his black plating, he was also quite a bit older than Tassius. Probably somewhere in his mid-sixties, and if the mechanics scrubs were any indication, he probably worked at one of the local garages.

Taken aback at the size of the older man, Tassius stared silently for a moment, which was all the opening the older turian needed to inquire, “what color is her hair? You should pick a color that’ll go with her hair.”

Tassius shook his head. “I… what?”

The older turian flared his pierced mandibles, clearly enjoying himself, before eyeing the under garment Tassius still had clutched in his hand. “Those would look good with a corset. Have you ever seen a human woman in a corset?” The other man made a lewd, purring hum with his subvocals.

“I can still remember the first time I came home to find my Silky in nothing but a magenta corset. I don’t think I’ve ever unplated so fast!”

“Thank you for the suggestion, _domine_ – “

“ _Domine_? Shit am I really _that_ old?” The older turian — whom Tassius noticed had his arms overflowing with different shades of pink silk panties and other similar items — shook his head and clicked his mandibles.

“Well, I may be old, but I’m certainly still enjoying life,” he said, hefting his purchases and giving Tassius a mandible flick. “And I fully expect to spend the rest of my evening in knots, if you know what I mean.” He let out an obnoxious laugh at the uncomfortable whine that slipped from Tassius’ subharmonics. “Remember, corset.” With a large grin still plastered on his face, the giant turian made his way to the hanar manning the cash registrar.

Tassius stood frozen where he was, mandibles slack. _Well, at least he wasn’t a raciest_ , Tassius thought, closing his mouth. The things the older man was purchasing were clearly meant for a human. _What is a corset anyway?_

The older gentlemen cast a glance over his shoulder and gave Tassius a small wave from the counter. Tassius decided to look in the back room where the older man had been. That way he could also avoid another awkward encounter with his would-be helper.

And Tassius had to admit, Gwen would look absolutely fantastic in a corset once he’d figured out what they were. He wondered if red would go well with her golden hair, and decided it would. Selecting a deep red corset with black lace details and a matching set of panties, he quickly paid for his present and hurried back to _The Steadfast_ , to collect his own clothing, bathing brushes and other things.

He was fatigued by the time his skycar pulled up to the gleaming skyscraper that housed the Kedar family apartment. _Spirits, I almost forgot how wealthy her family is_. He hoped that Gwen would still like his gift, though it probably wasn’t as glamorous as the presents she usually received.

Taking the elevator up to the top floor, he approached the door number Gwen had sent him and immediately caught a whiff of something delicious. _Is that baked Salmo?_ He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until arriving. Truthfully, he hadn’t had a chance to eat since breakfast.

Tassius rang the intercom and heard the approach of two small feet as Gwen opened the door, a huge smile on her face. “Tassisus!” She tugged him into the apartment and pulled him down by the cowl to nuzzle sweetly against his forehead.

A deep, affectionate purr rumbled out of his chest as he returned the sweet gesture, before pulling back slightly to gently nip her lips in his version of a human style kiss. “My _Spiritus Auream_ ,” he said softly, as Gwen kissed his mouth and mandibles.

Raising his head, he asked, “what is that delicious smell?”

“It’s your dinner,” Gwen replied with no small amount of pride in her voice. “I found the recipe on the extranet and the poster gave really great instructions on how to cook dextro cuisine if you yourself are levo based.”

Gwen bit her lip. “I hope it came out good.”

“It smells amazing,” Tassius said honestly as he walked over to the kitchen area and the raised marble counter top.

Normally, he’d take off his armor first before settling into a meal, but the sight of baked _Salmo_ and _yuba_ sauce, accompanied by the smell, was too much, and glancing over to Gwen who was giving him an encouraging smile, he gingerly picked up the turian style fork next to his plate and tucked in.

The flavor was amazing. The texture of the fish itself was slightly chewy, as though it’d been a bit overcooked, but it was overall the best meal Tassius had eaten in months. And the fact that Gwen had made it for him herself, despite being completely unfamiliar with the ingredients, warmed his chest and caused him to purr around his food. 

He gave his _amicae_ a grateful look once he’d all but licked the plate clean. “Thank you, Gwen.” She stepped closer to him, a glass of wine in hand to snuggle up against his armored side.

“I’m glad you liked it.” She said tipping her head back to stare up at him with whiskey colored eyes. “Now, how about you get out of your armor and we curl up on the couch with a bunch of blankets and a vid?”

Rumbling his agreement, Tassius followed his lovely _amicae_ into the master bedroom, a full meal in his stomach, and a loving purr whispering in his subharmonics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few cameos in this chapter! Gwen's "godly" helper was none other than @Squiggly_Squid's Arcanus Reguix, from her "Parable" series. And he's far from a priest, he's actually the gang leader for the Citadel Blue Suns, lol. 
> 
> And for those of you who love "Cobalt" by @Saphistar, she graciously let me borrow an older Davix to "help" Tassius in his lingerie purchase. I had way too much fun writing him and Tass. And yes, username Silkypink83 was Sophie, sharing her dextro baking knowledge with the extranet.


	11. Come Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW
> 
> Culus – Colloquial Taetrun word for “asshole” 
> 
> Carissime – A Palaveni endearment, means loosely “my dearest love” 
> 
> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other
> 
> Tevik – A predatory creature from Palaven that stalks it’s prey with elongated, graceful strides to its gait.

When Gwen awoke the next morning, it was with a content smile. She affectionately nuzzled under Tassius’s chin, and delighted in the soft purr she got in response. She wondered how long he’d been awake, given that turians needed far less sleep than humans. Raising up on an elbow, she gave her boyfriend a sleepy smile. “Morning, handsome.”

Tassius gave a rumbling chuckle. “Good morning my sunlight.” Gwen had noticed that most of his pet names for her involved the sun or gold in some sense. To say she was enjoying this softer, private side of him would be an understatement.

Gwen rubbed her nose against his own plated one, giggling as he scrunched it up. Noticing that Tassius had a data pad in his hand and several more off to the side, she grinned. “Already working hard?”

He dipped his head in a gesture she’d come to associate with mild embarrassment. “Just catching up on the local news. Did you know the _Normandy_ has been grounded by the Council? Along with Commander Shepard and her entire crew?”

Gwen’s eyes widened. “What? Why?” Commander Shepard was doing fantastic work. She was the Hero of Elysium, recipient of the Star of Terra. And from everything Gwen had read, the Commander was doing an upstanding job as a Specter. Why the hell would the Council ground her?

“Aren’t many details as to why,” Tassius stated. “Only that it was ordered while we were sleeping.” He looked like he was deep in thought for a moment, but when Gwen angled her head to catch his eye, he flared his ochre colored mandibles out in a smile.

“I have a meeting with the Captain in an hour, but after that, I’m free for the rest of the day. Is there anything you wanted to do while we’re here?”

“Well, there _is_ this new dance club that opened up. Would you be willing to come out dancing with me for a while?”

Gwen traced her fingers up Tassius’s bare arm. “And then…” she lowered her voice to a husky whisper, “we can spend the rest of the night seeing how many different positions we can get into before you get dehydrated and I’m too sore to walk.”

Tassius nearly dropped his data pad as a dark growl escaped his throat. “I like all of those ideas.” He bent down to rub his brow against her own. “Especially the last one. And I _may_ have a present for you that we can use.”

Gwen pulled her head back and bit her lower lip. “You got me a sexy present?”

“You’ll have to wait till tonight to find out.” Tassius laid his cheek against the top of Gwen’s head, caressing it with a mandible, before slowly pulling away to shower and put on his armor. 

Gwen leered at his naked body as he stalked toward the bathroom. _Hello, Hot Plates!_ Her lecherous mind cheered. Stretching again, Gwen decided to see if Prenia wanted to go visit Octa and Plalio in the hospital. Octa was recovering well last she heard, but needed to stay on the Citadel until her plate grafts healed. Gwen wondered how long it’d take her to return to active duty since turians didn’t heal as quickly as humans. 

Plalio, meanwhile, while stable, was still in intensive care due to the extensive blood loss he’d suffered. The man was probably depressed and concerned about his career. Tassius seemed to think his military days were over. If that were true, he’d need a new job and Gwen needed to ascertain if working for Hahne-Kedar was something the critically injured solider might consider.

Pulling up her omni tool, Gwen sent out a text to Prenia, before checking her inbox. She was surprised to see a document from Captain Vallokius, and her eyes widened when she realized what it was; a glowing review of the Silverback Armor. Gwen greedily devoured the contents of the report.

The Captain credited the Silverback Armor for protecting the soldiers wearing it from the explosion, saying it was a major reason the two men only sustained minor injuries. He’d even attached the medical report from the ships’ physician, praising how well the armor had withstood the blast and protected its wearers.

The report concluded with saying the Hierarchy should requisition Hahne-Kedar Armory produced armor immediately, for mass use.

Gwen was grinning like a fool by the time Tassius walked out of the bathroom, plates gleaming in the light.

“Tassius! Do you know what just happened?” Of course he didn’t, and his confused rumble said as much.

“Look what the Captain wrote!” Gwen bounded over to her still naked boyfriend, snuggling into his side and not caring if he was still damp. She held up her omni tool display so Tassius could read the report.

“Impressive,” Tassius said after skimming the document. “Will this be enough to secure a Hierarchy contract?”

“Not sure.” Gwen admitted. “I still have a few more months to give out demonstrations, and the more reviews I garner the better. But, my father and uncle may submit a contract request with what we already have.”

She hugged Tassius around the waist, resting her chin on his plated keel and staring up at him. “Either way, I’m in no rush to leave _The Steadfast_.”

His tender, song-like purr seemed to echo the sentiment, and it was with no small amount of regret that Gwen released him to get dressed for his meeting. _I’ll put him through his paces tonight_ , she mentally promised herself as she watched him pull on his sexy black under armor.

**********

Gwen met Prenia outside Huerta Memorial Hospital. Prenia was sharply dressed in a deep purple tunic with gold accents and purple leggings. _She fixes up nice_ , Gwen mused. _Wonder if she’d be down to go shopping some time._

The two friends headed to the reception desk to inquire what room Octa was in before stopping by the gift shop to grab their injured comrade some dextro candy. Gwen figured Octa was probably over hospital food by now.

Despite the plate grafts on her keel and cowl that still looked a bit raw, Octa was in good spirits, and happy to see them.

“How much longer are you in for?” Gwen asked as Octa ate some of her turian chocolate.

Octa made a buzzing sound with her subvocals. “Another week at least. The Kabalim probably won’t take me on any field missions anytime soon either.”

“You seem to be healing beautifully,” Prenia noted.

“I was lucky that I was standing near Kabalim Malolin when the explosion went off. His biotic barrier spared me a worse fate.”

The three women were silent for a moment. “How is Plalio doing?” Gwen finally asked.

“As good as can be expected.” Octa said. “He lost a lot of blood and sustained major nerve damage to his shoulder, along with multiple broken ribs.”

Prenia grimaced. “He’s not coming back to _The Steadfast_.” She said, echoing Tassius’s earlier sentiment. “I hope he has family who can support him till he’s well enough to find work.”

“He has a sister here on the Citadel,” Octa offered. “She’s come by to see him already. Not sure where he’d find a job though, pretty sure he planned on being career military.”

“Do you know what room he’s in? I _might_ be able to help him with the job front.”

Both Prenia and Octa gave her flared mandible grins. “I think he’s another floor up in room 718.” Octa stated. “Can you really get him a job?” Her subvocals hummed in excitement.

“If he wants one, sure. If Hahne-Kedar gets a contract with the Hierarchy, we’d definitely want to hire some more turian employees familiar with the military.” Gwen shrugged. “When he’s able to work, I’ll make sure there’s something for him.”

“That’s amazing!” Octa practically chirped. “He’ll be so relieved.”

Gwen smiled. “Gotta make sure he’s interested first.”

Leaving her two friends to chat, Gwen headed for the seventh level of the hospital. _Wonder if Plalio knows anything about being a salesman_ , she wondered as she walked down the wide hallway and peered into his room.

“ – honestly, he’s my mate but you can call me Tosca. He’s not even here.” A feminine voice was saying.

Plalio was propped up in a hospital bed surrounded by wires and beeping machines. A middle aged human nurse with a rich, olive-brown complexion, and shoulder length hair was fusing with the pillows behind Plalio’s back.

“The Captain may not be here, but I owe you the same level of respect,” he told the nurse solemnly.

“You’re Captain Vallokius’s wife?” Gwen internally cringed. _Why must you constantly butt in on conversations that are none of your business?_

The nurse, Tosca, turned to face her with kind looking, hazel eyes.

“Tosca Vallokius, at your service,” she said with a smile and outstretched hand. “But please, just call me Tosca.”

Gwen hadn’t realized the Captain was married to a human, and wondered if that explained his support for her and Tassius getting together.

“Mr. Agustan here will be needing a nap soon, so try not to keep him too long Ms. Kedar.” At Gwen’s surprised look, Tosca grinned and gave her a wink. “Tenzen told me. He likes to gossip,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper, as she grabbed an empty tray and headed for the door, a smile still on her lips.

Alone with Plalio and still reeling from the news that the Captain and his human wife talked about her in their spare time, Gwen stood dumbly in the middle of the room.

“Did the Kabalim ask you to come?” Plalio finally asked.

Shaking off her stupor, Gwen walked over to the side of the bed. “Yes and no. I came on my own to check in on you and Octa. But, Tass— Kabalim Malolin, did ask me to find out if you might be interested in a job offer.”

Plalio looked confused. “A job offer?” Then, realization hit him, and the man crumpled into his pillows. “I’m not going back to the Cabal, am I.” 

It wasn’t a question. He looked to Gwen with ashen mandibles pinched tightly to his face. “I knew I probably…” He shook his head softly. “Guess I should be thankful I’m still alive,” he said with a bitter sound to his subharmonics.

“What’s your favorite hobby?” Gwen asked.

Taken aback, Plalio stared at her with mandibles gently flapping. “My favorite hobby?” He repeated.

Gwen nodded. Plalio looked down at his hands which were gripping the bedsheets. Relaxing his grip, he looked back to her. “I always liked firearm repair, I guess.”

“Like, pistols and shotguns?”

He nodded still looking a bit confused at the conversation topic.

“When you’re cleared for release, would you consider working for Hahne-Kedar as a consultant? We’re currently working on a new line of pistols specifically for turians, and we could really use someone with knowledge not just about guns, but also putting them together and design.”

“You’d want me to consult on a new gun design and fabrication?” Plalio chirped in undisguised shock.

“Only if you wanted to,” Gwen said. “We’d pay you more then you were making in the military, and offer a competitive retirement and stock option package for all employees.”

Plalio leaned back into his throne of pillows, mandibles still gaping. “You don’t have to answer right now, but please think about it.” Gwen sent him her omni tool address. “And to be clear, I’m not offering you this position out of pity. I think you’d be a real benefit to our company given your knowledge of the turian military and stated interest in gun design.”

Gwen gave him an easy smile. “Let me know whatever you decide.”

As if on cue, Tosca came back into the room to usher Gwen out so Plalio could nap.

“That was very generous of you.” Tosca said quietly, as the two walked down the hall side by side.

Gwen smiled. “I hope he agrees to come work for us.”

“I suspect he will,” Tosca said with a knowing smile. Gently grabbing Gwen’s shoulder in an almost maternal show of affection, Tosca continued down the hall as Gwen made her way back downstairs to visit with Octa and Prenia some more.

**********

Tassius had never really been one to go out clubbing. He generally found the music too loud and the drinks too expensive. Additionally, as a biotic, it took a lot of alcohol to get him buzzed, let alone drunk, and he didn’t have those kinds of credits laying around to spend on something so frivolous.  

However, with his career doing marvelously and a gorgeous woman on his arm, Tassius was definitely enjoying himself as he and Gwen strode into _Flux_. The place was loud and full of people from all races dancing, talking or drinking.

Tassius allowed Gwen to lead him over to a corner booth and he admired his _amicae_ , as she put in their drink orders. Her beautiful golden hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, and reminded him of the Taetrun sunrise reflected on the water. Her very form fitted black dress also left him purring, and he’d noticed she’d already received more than a few appreciative looks from some of the humans, asari, and other club goers.

 _But I’m the one who gets to see what she looks like with her dress off,_ his mind crowed.

“What do you think of this place?” Gwen asked him.

Tassius scanned the club. It was nice enough, he supposed. Seemed clean. The view in front of him, however, was much better. He scooted closer to Gwen in their booth, so he wouldn’t need to raise his voice.

“Not bad,” he conceded. “I don’t normally come to places like this.”

Gwen reached under the booth to hold his hand. “I hope you have fun tonight anyway.”

“How couldn’t I with such lovely company?” He purred seductively to her. Gwen looked at him with darkened eyes.

“Soon big guy. But you promised me some dancing first.”

While this was true, Tassius was more than a bit eager to have Gwen try on the gift he’d bought her the day before. He hoped she liked it, even though it wasn’t lavish and was a bit… raunchy.

An asari waitress brought them their drinks. Gwen had something that looked mildly toxic what with all the different colors. He himself was savoring a turian brandy, but apparently, he was taking too long. Gwen had already finished her beverage and was eagerly tugging on his arm to get him out on the dance floor.

Throwing back his expensive alcohol in a gesture that would have horrified his father, Tassius followed Gwen out of the booth. Gwen immediately began to move her body to the music in twisting, fluid movements. Tassius recalled that Gwen knew how to dance, but hadn’t figured she would be so alluring.

Her hair moved with her shoulders, catching the flashing lights and shining like a gold beacon. As he stood there stupidly watching her, a human man cut in and started to dance next to Gwen, matching her movements. Tassius suppressed an irritated growl. _I’m standing right here you damn culus._

Gwen paid the new comer no attention, and grabbing Tassius’s hand pressed her small, lithe body against his, running her hands along his waist and up his cowl. Tassius dipped his head as his feet began to move cautiously to the beat.

Gwen twirled around so her back was pressed to his front and began to grind herself against him in a way that had his lower plates shifting. Wrapping his hands around her glorious waist, Tassius swayed to the techno music with his sexy _amicae_ pressed against him.

Meanwhile, the human man had begun dancing with a pair of asari once Gwen had brushed him off. Tassius reveled in having the prettiest woman all to himself as a dance partner, even if his moves were shaky and uncoordinated compared to hers.

By the time the pair exited the dance floor, Tassius was panting and Gwen had a thin sheen of sweat around her hair line. _Dancing is more exerting than I thought_ , Tassius noted. And having spent most of the time out on the dance floor with Gwen rubbing against him in a thin dress, he was more than ready to take their evening back to the apartment.

Luckily, Gwen seemed to be of a like mind and she all but hauled him out of the club and into a waiting skycar.

The pair fell into the backseat and Gwen immediately pulled off his blue and silver jacket to run her hands over his bare arms before wrapping them around his neck and pulling him into a heated kiss.

Hazily, Tassius pulled away from her insistent tongue to input their destination, before returning to nip and lick his way along the column of Gwen’s lovely neck.

His hands grabbed her breasts through her dress and squeezed, while hers dove to his pants and pulled out his undershirt so she could run her fingers possessively over his waist, torso and keel. Tassius moaned wantonly into her hair as she squeezed his waist. He was already out of his plates and his erection was pressing uncomfortably against the front of his pants. 

He ground himself against her, desperate for any friction to ease the sweet ache in his cock. Gwen reached a slim hand down between them to caress the bulge in his pants as she panted hotly against his neck.

Upon reaching their destination far quicker than Tassius would have thought, the pair all but tumbled out of the skycar in a disheveled heap of crumpled clothing and heavy breathing. Tassius wasn’t even sure _how_ they made it up to the apartment with their clothes still mostly on, but a soon as the door slid shut behind them, he was on her.

He’d never felt such a desperate need to couple with another person in his life, as his body all but screamed at him to bury himself inside her tight, welcoming heat. Judging by the way Gwen had managed to pull his shirt off, along with her shoes, she wanted him just as badly.

Pawing at each other, they made it to the couch in the living room before Gwen stepped back to pull off her dress and unclasp her chest harness. Tassius managed to pull his pants down to his ankles, sighing as his cock sprang free of the tight fabric.

Too focused on his _amicae_ to bother with his boots, he urged her to sit on the couch before kneeling in front of her. She was a good deal smaller than him, and the couch was the perfect height and angle for what he wanted to try.

Reaching up to cup her beasts and pluck at her nipples, Tassius buried his head in her long hair, before whispering over his husky subvocals, “I need to be inside you, scoot down a bit.”

Gwen eagerly and wordlessly complied with his request, and noticing she’d already removed her underwear, Tassius lined himself up with her wet entrance and pushed inside, groaning loudly.

Gwen threw her head back against the cushions, grabbing his wrist as an anchor and bracing her other arm against the crushed velvet couch. Tassius paused only long enough to be sure he wouldn’t hurt her, before he started to thrust into her hard and fast.

Gwen lifted her legs onto his hip joints, using the couch as leverage to meet his powerful thrusts with her own. Her breasts bounced with the force of each time he hilted himself, as breathy cries and gasps of “Tassius” and “yes” fell from her lips like a mantra.

Time seemed to grind to a halt, and all he was aware of was how she felt around him, and the smells and sounds of their love making. The incessant snap of his hips as plates met flesh, the heady, musky smell of his arousal mixed with Gwen’s, and the tight, warm embrace of her core around his throbbing cock. He felt light headed from the combination of too much, and yet, never enough of her.

He could feel his completion rushing forward, and gritted his teeth, determined to make Gwen cum at least once before he finished. Using what little higher brain function he had left, he pooled his biotics in his hands, before slowly releasing the energy over Gwen’s body and pulsing the field around her nipples and where his body was joined with hers.

Gwen’s eyes shot open as she surged up into him with a gasp and several very colorful expletives. Her walls convulsed around him and he came hard, as his knot began to swell and lock them together.

He nearly collapsed from the sensation, as he had the first time, but instead pulled Gwen more firmly onto him as he laid back on the carpeted floor panting with exertion, his body still tingling from both the use of his biotics and mind-blowing sex.  

“Fuck, Tassius.” Gwen flopped against his plated chest. “If I’d known dancing would get you hot, I would have suggested this a long time ago.”

Tassius laughed as he struggled to catch his breath. “I hope you’re not tired already,” he said. “I still haven’t even shown you your gift yet.”

In all honesty, in his rush to fuck her he’d completely forgotten about the red corset packed discreetly in a white box among his other belongings. Now, buried inside her up to his plates, he could only hope she was willing to go for round two once his knot went down.

Gwen lifted herself up on his chest, a definite spark to her amber eyes. “Oh, I could go all night Hot Plates. And there’s no way I’m _not_ seeing this gift of yours after you’ve talked it up so much.”

Tassius rumbled in excitement, and hoped he hadn’t hyped up his present too much. It was only lingerie after all. _That she’ll look ravishing in_ , he reminded himself.

After twenty minutes or so of laughing and rocking together in a union that Tassius had already come to love and crave with her, his cock receded back behind his plates and the pair were able to stand, albeit on wobbly legs.

“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” Gwen said excitedly. “I’m going to go pee, so I don’t leak blue tinted semen all over the place, and you’re going to go get my present.” Standing on her tip toes, she was just able to kiss his neck, before trotting off down the hallway and towards the bathroom.

Tassius was more than ready for another round, and jogged to the master bedroom where they’d slept the night before to set out his gift. He’d just finished laying it out on the bed when he heard Gwen enter the room.

“Ohhhhh, a corset huh?” He looked to her, concerned for a moment she was offended, but the playful fire in her eyes and way she had her bottom lip between her teeth spoke easily of her approval.

“Have you ever worn one before?” He couldn’t help but ask. A small, petty part of him hoped the answer was no. She was his first of many things, and a small part of him wanted him to be the first of a few things for her also. _You’re her first turian lover_ , his mind stated bluntly.

“I have, actually,” Gwen stated, interrupting his thoughts. “But never under these circumstances.”

He rumbled to her in confusion. Gwen smiled as she approached the corset and picked it up to admire.

“I did some modeling while I was still in college for a high-end lingerie company. Sometimes, I got to wear fancy corsets and garter belts. But, I never wore any of them for a romantic partner.”

She turned, her hair still mussed from their previous romp, and gave him a seductive smile. “Can you help me put this on?”

While he was unsure of what went where, Gwen guided him, and instructed him to pull the black laces on the back of the ensemble as tight as he could. When he’d finished, Gwen took a few steps away from him before turning around.

Tassius forgot how to breathe. Her already slim waist was now impossibly small, and begging for him to grab it. He was pretty sure he could encircle her waist with his hands, and that thought had his cock pressing against his pelvic plates in anticipation.

“How do I look?” Gwen asked in a breathy whisper.

Were there words to describe his want, need, and desire? To detail how exquisitely perfect her already stunning figure looked hugged in red and black lace? Surely, there were words, and greater poets then he would sing them to the Spirits.

Overcome with lust and passion, his response was to rush to her as a starving man would a hot meal. And in that moment, he wanted to devour her.

Gwen however, seemed to have other plans, and craning her neck to look up to his face asked, “have you ever had a blow job, Tass?”

It took him a moment in his overly aroused state to remember where he’d heard this phrase before. But, recalling some of his earlier research on human/turian sex his head snapped up.

“No, I’ve never had a partner with lips.” He replied.

Gwen gave him a predatory smirk as she pushed his chest back, silently instructing him to sit on the bed.

Despite always being the dominate partner in bedroom settings, he followed her orders like a good soldier. If she wanted to take control of this evening, for once, he was more than willing to assume a more submissive role.

Sitting down on the comforter, Gwen kneeled between his legs, and made a show of licking her lips at the sight of his cock peeking out of his plates. Then, before he could say anything, she lowered her head, and stuck her pink tongue into his sheath to lap at him.

Tassius let out a deep flanged moan. _Spirits, but that felt amazing!_ Unsure where to put his hands, he braced them behind his back and closed his eyes as his cock fully unsheathed into Gwen’s waiting mouth.  

Gwen lifted her head for a moment and gestured to one of his hands. Panting he reached it out to her, and she took it and braced it against the back of her head. “Just don’t push against me too hard,” she smiled, before returning to his waiting cock. 

Tassius dug his fingers into her luminous hair. He loved how soft it was, and grabbing a handful of the golden strands, gently urged Gwen on in her ministrations. He’d never been with someone who had lips, and the suction her mouth created around his member as she pumped up and down, stopping only to swirl her tongue against the head of his dick, was a revelation.

Tassius closed his eyes, as he felt himself getting close. He didn’t want to cum in her mouth like he’d seen in one of the vids he’d watched. He wanted desperately to be inside her again, and pulling her hair back so she released his cock with a wet sounding ‘pop’ he unabashedly begged, “Gwen, please, I want, I’m so close _carissime_ , can I be inside you?”

Gwen smiled, and without answering him pushed back on his chest again. Understanding, Tassius quickly scrambled back on the bed, snatching a few pillows to stick behind his cowl as he laid down.

Like a _Tevik_ , Gwen crawled over his prone body and aligning herself with his cock, sank down onto him with closed eyes and a throaty moan. Tassius echoed her moan with a subvocal one of his own. He reached out and like he’d thought, was able to encircle Gwen’s tiny waist with both hands.

Having adjusted to him, Gwen rose up onto her knees and began to ride him, as she played with her nipples through the red lace that barely concealed them. Tassius returned her thrusts, unable to form any coherent thoughts other than how _spectacular_ she felt.

Moving his hands from around her waist, he grabbed her ass and helped her ride him by grinding her against his pelvic plates in a way that rubbed her sensitive bud against him. Gasping, Gwen braced her hands on his chest and arched her back as Tassius began to desperately thrust up into her as his vision began to blur with his impending orgasm.

Gwen reached hers first with a scream, as her walls convulsed around him, and thrusting into her several more times, Tassius felt, rather than saw, his biotics surge in a powerful shockwave that judging from the noise, knocked pictures and paintings from the wall as he came.

Gwen collapsed on top of him in a position that had his keel digging into her. Yet, she made no attempt to move. Finally, pushing herself up on shaky arms, she looked at him with sex drunk eyes that made his male pride swell.

“Damn, Tass,” was all she could say. Then looking to her corset, she let out a winded laugh. “I think you may need to file your talons.”

Tassius looked to her waist where he’d been holding her to see the delicate lace fabric had been sheared away from the corset boning in his excitement. Rumbling, he lifted his head to nuzzle her brow and scent her as his before whispering, “I’ll buy you another one.”

Her musical laughter filled the room and he purred back in happiness and love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything in this chapter, starting with Tassius's POV, was inspired by the wonderful art of @Bethadastra. She drew these babes in fancy clothes and then in a more sensual position and I was far too inspired not to write about it! Thank you Beth!


	12. Interwoven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW
> 
> Spiritus Auream -- A spirit of Palaven’s sun, Trebia. While not personified like human spirits with a physical body, these spirits are said to be made of pure, golden light, and are immensely powerful and revered.
> 
> Taetrian Laudatix: The ministry of citizenship rankings on Taetrus. Each Hierarchy planet has its own Laudatix.
> 
> Oserun – A ceremony that recognizes the promotion of turians to a new citizenship tier. It is a very formal, public event.
> 
> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other

Gwen awoke slowly, to the feeling of something tickling her ear. Groaning tiredly, she tried to move her head away, only to have the tickle turn into a full nuzzle accompanied by the rumbling laugh of her boyfriend.

 Gwen cracked open an eye to glare at him. “You don’t sleep long enough,” she grumbled.

 Tassius flared his mandibles out in a large smile before rubbing his forehead more insistently against her brow and hairline. “You’ve been asleep for seven hours.” He informed her. “I started to get lonely.”

 Gwen scoffed. Knowing Tassius, he’d probably been working or reading the whole time he’d been awake. But still, she loved having him all to herself, and seven hours was more than enough rest. Stretching out her sore muscles, Gwen moved to plant a few kisses on Tassius’s face and mandibles.

Last night had been amazing. After their first round on the couch and follow up session in the bedroom, Tassius had fucked her against the wall in the hallway and one more time in the bed before they fell asleep. She was a little sore from all the attention, but had loved every second of it. She’d never gone so many rounds in one night, and had been more than impressed with Tassius’s stamina.

 Tassius began to stroke her hair, bringing her back to the present. He was purring that sweet song again and Gwen smiled, despite not being fully awake.

“Last night was incredible,” he all but sighed. “At least, it was for me.”

Gwen chuckled and raised up to nuzzle his brow in her own version of scent marking. “Last night was fantastic, and you were amazing.” She told him. She wondered if she was the best Tassius had ever had, before mentally shaking the thought from her head. _He’s definitely the best I’ve ever had_.

Tassius’s purring song had grown in volume. “You’re so…” His subvocals chirped and rumbled out the rest of his statement, and while Gwen didn’t fully understand the nuances of his secondary voice, she thought she could understand the emotion behind it.

Gwen kissed his mouth plates, a gesture Tassius eagerly returned as best he could. Soon, her hands began to roam as her tongue darted out to meet his. She caressed him over his plated chest and keel, down to his sensitive waist, and gave him a firm squeeze.

 He groaned, pulling her into his much larger body as he curled around her. “Spirits Gwen, I think I’m addicted to you.” He chuckled breathlessly, as his own hand moved to cup a breast, a finger flicking over a nipple.

 Gwen arched into his hand with a moan, redoubling her efforts at his waist until they were both panting. She threw a leg over his narrow hips to bring her own slick, waiting heat flush to his groin plates, which had already parted.

 “Tassius,” she craned her neck back as far as it could go in order to make eye contact. “I want you inside me.”

 Tassius made a string of subvocal noises she didn’t understand, but moved to grind himself against her core while one hand continued playing with her nipple.

 “Gwen, I,” he panted over the top of her head. “Can I, I want to erect directly into you.”

Had Gwen not cornered Prenia after her first night with Tassius, she might have been confused by his statement. However, her friend had informed her that having a male directly unsheathe into his partner was an extremely intimate sexual act. And Gwen would be damned if she didn’t want to share that type of intimacy with him.

“Yes, fuck, come on Tass,” she pressed herself closer to his open plates and moaned in ecstasy as his large, ribbed cock slowly slid into her tight channel.

Tassius all but shuddered in what she assumed was a similar feeling of euphoria, before he slowly began to rock into her. Gwen threw her head back, her body awash in the feeling of him inside her and wrapped all around her. _So, this is what it means to ‘make love’_ her mind sung.

The steady rocking of Tassius’s body against her clit had her tingling, and her orgasm almost surprised her with how gently it built up before crashing over her in a wave that had her clamping down on his member and squeezing his waist in a silent cry. 

Tassius gasped before rocking into her harder than before and releasing his seed deep inside her. She could feel his knot begin to swell in a sensation she had quickly grown to love. Locked together, still shuddering and sensitive, Gwen clung to Tassius as though he were a life line.

“Gwen, my _Spiritus Auream_.” He gripped her tighter.

Struck by an idea that she hoped he would go for, Gwen reached up her hand to cup a mandible. “Tassius? Can you make us float? While we’re knotted, I mean.”

She felt him rumble from deep in his chest before a creeping, blue flame curled over her body and wrapped around her in the hug of a singularity. Slowly, still connected to him, they floated off the bed to hover about a foot above the sheets. Gwen let out a small gasp, turning her head back to stare up at Tassius.

“Wow.” Was all she could say.

He was the only thing she could feel, still knotted but suspended above the rest of the world, one of his large hands gently cupping the back of her head, the other wrapped around her hip. And in that perfect moment, as he gazed down at her, ruby eyes full of affection and other emotions she dared not name, she knew she loved him.

Gwen hid her revelation behind a smile and kissed his keel. Tassius purred the song he’d been singing earlier, and Gwen shut her eyes, totally content.

All too soon, Tassius’s knot went down, and he gently lowered them back onto the bed. Gwen moved her leg from around his hip, before slowly sitting up in an action he mirrored. She grinned at him almost drunkenly, before scooting back into his space once more.

Tassius held her close and continued playing with her hair, which she was sure was a complete rats nest of tangles and mats by now.  

She pulled back gently to stare up at her boyfriend. “Wanna join me for a shower?”

Tassius flared his mandibles out in a turian grin. “I’d love to,” he answered.

Squeezing her legs together to avoid an even bigger mess then the one they’d already made the night before, Gwen shuffled off to the bathroom to pee while Tassius grabbed his various plate brushes.

He entered right as Gwen had settled on an ideal water temperature. Giving him a mischievous wink, Gwen stepped under the spray and let the hot water hit her face, chest, and legs.

She heard Tassius unzipping his travel bag before he joined her in the spacious, marble shower. Wrapping his arms around her, Tassius stuck his own face into the water, letting out a content hum.

Noticing he’d set his brushes down on a small ledge, Gwen turned in his arms to face him before asking, “can I help you clean off? With your carapace brushes?”

It was something she’d been wanting to do for a while now. His carapace brushes were fascinating to her in how different they were from anything a human would use.

Gwen swore she heard Tassius catch his breath before he answered, “if you want to, of course. I – you don’t _have_ to. But,” he looked down at her, the same openness in his features he always had when they were alone. “I’d really like that,” he said over the sound of the water.

Gwen wondered why he was acting so coy, but brushed the thought aside as she eagerly reached for the largest of his ivory handled brushes. “Show me where to start?”

“That one’s for my cowl,” he said, still sounding oddly breathless. “You, um, brush in a circular motion.”

Gwen nodded, and began to do as instructed, marveling at how shiny his plates looked after they’d been scrubbed with the wire bristles.

When she finished with his cowl, she moved on to his leg and arm plates before switching brushes and tending to his facial plates. He closed his eyes under her ministrations and the purring song from earlier returned in full force. _I need to ask him what that means, it sounds gorgeous,_ Gwen mentally noted.

When she’d tenderly and thoroughly brushed all his plating, including his groin plates, she took a moment to stand back and admire her work; his wet, russet plates gleamed in the lights, beautiful and clean. _And all mine_.

Tassius was still purring, but his song faltered momentarily as he asked, “can I, eh, help you clean?”

Gwen gave him an easy smile. “Here,” she said, handing him a bottle of shampoo. “You can help me wash my hair.”

Tassius flared his mandibles before placing a dollop of shampoo in his hand as instructed. Almost cautiously, he began to run his hands through her hair until all her locks were fully lathered. Gaining confidence, he stated to gently message her scalp with the pads of his three fingered hands, and Gwen had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from letting out a particularly sinful moan.

When he’d finished, she rinsed out all the suds and then had him repeat his actions with a deep conditioner.

 “Damn Tass, you’re good at this. That felt amazing.” He noticeably puffed his chest out a bit before giving a pleased hum.

“Anything to make you feel good.” He stated, making Gwen blush slightly.

By the time they stepped out of the shower the water had nearly run cold. They both grabbed some of the plush towels her mother had stocked and returned to the bedroom to dress.

They only had time to make a quick breakfast and tidy up before they’d need to return to the ship. Since both Octa and Plalio were going to be staying on the Citadel to recover, _The Steadfast_ would be going on to its next destination without them.

“Do you know where we’re headed next?” Gwen asked Tassius as she pulled on a pair of clean panties.

“Taetrus, actually. Which reminds me, I was wondering if you would to stay with me at my family’s… Bed and Breakfast?”

Despite still acting like the term was foreign, he looked so hopeful that Gwen felt a storm of butterflies take flight in her chest. “Of course! I’d love to.”

Gwen walked over to where Tassius was sitting on the bed and strapping on his boots. She gave him a sweet, passionate kiss on his mouth plates, lamenting that there wasn’t time for anything else.

Tassius nuzzled his forehead against hers. “I’ll have my mom pick up some levo food before we arrive.”

“Do you think your parents will like me?” Gwen asked, pressing her forehead back against his. She didn’t think Tassius would have invited her if his family were xenophobic, but still, she secretly hoped they approved of her.

Tassius purred softly, rubbing a mandible against her cheek. “I’m sure they’ll like you,” he stated confidently.

*****************

Gwen and Tassius approached the docking bay hand in hand. But, once they reached their destination, Tassius pulled away gently. “I need to speak with XO Procolus,” he explained.

Gwen nodded, and watched as Tassius straightened his back and pulled his mandibles close to his face, assuming the persona of Kabalim Malolin. _He’s definitely sexy as the Kabalim, but ‘Tassius’ is the man I love most_ , Gwen mused, as Tassius proudly strode toward the airlock.

Pulling up her omni tool to make sure the food provisions she’d requisitioned had been delivered, she noticed Captain Vallokius out of the corner of her eye. And he wasn’t alone.

He was bent down, nuzzling foreheads lovingly with Tosca, the human nurse from the hospital. _His wife_. Gwen smiled. And standing beside Tosca, was a young turian boy with the most exotic plate color Gwen had ever seen.

Normally, turian plates were monochromatic, though they could have varying hues. But the boy — whom Gwen assumed was the Captain’s son based on the nearly identical mandible shape and emerald green eyes — had plates that were a rich, mahogany brown with lighter chestnut highlights in places. _Almost like human hair_ , Gwen puzzled with a slight frown.

Gwen looked to Tosca, who was saying something to her husband, before her eyes went wide in understanding. Tosca had the exact same hair color as the turian boy. _He’s a Chier!_

Chiers were the result of Council sanctioned gene therapy. The answer to non-asari, cross-species relationships were the parties both wanted a biological child.

Gwen had learned about Chiers in biology class back on Earth. The term ‘Chier’ was taken from _Bourchier knots_ , an ancient type of interwoven knot found on Earth and Sur‘Kesh. While she was still a bit hazy on the actual scientific explanation, from what she could remember, in certain situations with a couple from different species, one of the parents was, essentially, cloned. However, specified genes from the other parent, like those responsible for eye color or hair color were taken from their DNA and interwoven with the clone’s DNA while the embryo was still in-vitro. Thus, you could have a human child, with a human father and salarian mother, who had green hair like the skin of his mother, but was otherwise an exact clone of his father.

 _Or in this case, a turian child whose plates are the same color as his human mother’s hair_. Gwen realized she was staring too late when Tosca turned her head in her direction.

Thankfully, the older woman gave Gwen a genuine smile in return before stepping up on her tip toes to plant a wet looking kiss on her husband’s left mandible. The Captain, meanwhile, had crouched down and was saying something to his son, who was holding a model space ship in one hand, and bouncing lightly on his toes.

Feeling like an intruder on the Captain’s farewell to his family, Gwen quietly made her way to the airlock. As the door shut behind her and the decontamination cycle ran, Gwen silently wondered if she actually _had_ met other Chiers before, but simply hadn’t noticed.   _Science is crazy,_ she decided with a slight head tilt and a smile.

*****************

Tassius was up to his eyes in reports and debating whether or not he needed a break when the call came.

The Captain had summoned him, privately on his omni tool, and requested that Tassius immediately report to the CIC.

When he arrived, Tassius was greeted by the Captain, and a holographic image of a man he did not recognize personally, but could tell was a high-ranking Hierarchy official based on the insignias that adorned his armor. Tassius bowed politely before addressing the room.

“Captain, you requested my presence?”

“I did. Kabalim Malolin, this is General Timus Aurelos. He oversees the _oserun_ on Taetrus.”

Tassius immediately straightened his back and held himself even stiffer. “General,” he stated giving the holographic image the claw-salute.

The General nodded. “Kabalam Malolin, I am pleased to inform you of a great honor being bestowed upon your personage. Those in charge of the colony's Laudatix have decided, given your current rank and merits, that you shall be promoted to a new citizenship tier.”

“Not only will this higher ranking come with an associated financial benefit, but it shall also place you in position to become a General within the Taetrun military, in service of the Hierarchy.”

“You will be reassigned to Taetrus, effective immediately, to complete the necessary paperwork and to undergo training and an evaluation before formally accepting your new rank and tier at the _oserun_ in eight galactic months time.”

“This is an incredible promotion for you, Kabalim. You are only the fourth Kabalim to receive such a promotion and I trust you will make Taetrus proud.”

Tassius was left utterly speechless. This was the news he’d been longing to hear for years. He felt like his heart would explode, and it took all his self-control to not let his subvocals scream out in elation.

Instead, he held his head high and mandibles close to his face, as he saluted the General once more before saying, “I am ready to serve the Hierarchy in whatever capacity they deem best. I will begin preparations for my reassignment.”

“Very good.” The General nodded before turning to Captain Vallokius. “Captain, I realize that the Kabalim’s departure will leave the Cabal without a direct commander. Kabalim Malolin shall be succeeded as quickly as possible, though in the meantime, the Cabal unit stationed aboard _The Steadfast_ shall be under your immediate authority.”

“Yes sir.” The Captain replied.

“I look forward to seeing you both on Taetrus. May the Spirits watch over you until your safe arrival.”

Both Tassius and the Captain saluted the General before the hologram disappeared.

The Captain turned to Tassius, mandibles pulled out in a wide smile. “Congratulations, Kabalim. You’ve made history, today.”

Tassius allowed an excited thrum to spill from his subharmonics. “Thank you, sir! This is such an honor.”

Tassius struggled to reign in his emotions. It wouldn’t do to lose his head and screech and chirp like a fledgling in front of the Captain.

“I will inform the Cabal of my promotion and imminent departure at once. I assure you, they will follow any and all orders you may give them.” He said, regaining his professional composure.

The Captain clasped his shoulder. “I have no doubt they are all disciplined soldiers. They have had a fine Kabalim.” The Captain exited the CIC, leaving Tassius to quiver in anticipation once he was alone.

 _I need to tell my parents!_ He thought. His father especially would be ecstatic, having always hoped Tassius would achieve the rank of General. 

First though, he had a duty to tell the Cabal. He sent out a ping requesting them to meet in the armory immediately for a debrief. Afterwards, he could tell his family.

 _Gwen will be so proud of me._ He subconsciously puffed out his chest at the thought of receiving praise from his beautiful _amicae._ She herself had professionally accomplished a great deal relative to her age. He hoped she was at least a little impressed with his promotion. He could offer her so much more as a General than he ever could as a Kabalim.  _  
_

He would seek her out and tell her the fantastic news as soon as he finished with his men. Head held high, and an extra spring to his steps, he headed out to address his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am no geneticist or biologist. Currently, the type of genetic engineering involved in Chiers does exist, with human organs being grown inside a pig, for example. I simply built on this principal and took some liberties with assuming the Mass Effect verse is even better with cloning and gene splicing. Hope it makes sense.


	13. Stay With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW
> 
> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other
> 
> aeternum song – Loosely translates to “heart song,” and is a type of vocalization turians make for their romantic partners. The song is specific to the mate, if a turian has more than one partner in a lifetime, the new song will vary drastically.
> 
> Promissum – The turian version of an engagement or proposal, refers more to the ritual of bringing another person into the clan. Has greatly fallen out of use in turian modern culture.

Gwen sat in the dinning commons gossiping with Aurelius. Susan had come up as a topic of conversation, and aside from the usual complaints that he was raciest, a bigot, and a jerk, Gwen mentioned that he apparently also had quite a few Facinus materials in his possession.

Aurelius almost spit out the pebbles he was swallowing along with his food. “He has Facinus propaganda? And the XO hasn’t confiscated it?”

Gwen raised an eyebrow at her friends’ overreaction. “What is Facinus anyway? XO Procolus said something about them being separatists?”

“Not separatists, terrorists. They’re a radical group from my home continent, Eluria, on Taetrus. They think that Taetrus should secede from the Hierarchy. That the Hierarchy betrayed the turian people in its ‘appeasement’ of humanity following the Relay 314 Incident. They also claim that the colonial taxes are oppressive, and only serve to support Palaven’s agenda, not that of its colonies.”

Aurelius gave a derisive snort and crossed his arms over his keel. “They advocate secession via a violent overthrow. They’re murderers and anarchists whose favorite thing to do is set off bombs at public locations. I can’t believe XO Procolus didn’t immediately confiscate whatever literature Susan had. That terrorist prick should be off this ship and dishonorably discharged for attempting to spread that trash.”

 _Well, I wonder how he really feels_ , Gwen thought, still stunned by how angry her normally easy-going friend sounded. Though, she did have to agree with some of his statements. The Hierarchy prided itself on order, and anarchy was something they would not tolerate. Especially within the military. She wondered if the XO _had_ taken away whatever Facinus materials Susan had with him.

Either way, if it got Susan discharged, or at least reassigned, she wouldn’t be sad to see him leave. _Raciest old bitch._

Aurelius’s omni tool chimed. “It’s the Kabalim. He wants all Cabal members to meet in the armory for a debrief.  Wonder what happened?”

He looked to Gwen, as if she might know, and at her shoulder shrug, made a twittering chirp before standing to leave. He gave her a polite nod before grabbing the last of his snack and tossing it in the trash.

 _Did something bad happen?_ Gwen wondered, before quickly brushing the thought aside. Tassius would have told her if something had happened. He was probably gathering the Cabal to go over their new orders after their stop on Taetrus.

Gwen felt butterflies erupt in her stomach at the thought of staying with Tassius and his family. She was no stranger to “meeting the parents,” but despite Tassius’s assurances that they would like her, Gwen was still nervous.

Finishing her own snack of a granola bar, Gwen decided to go back to her quarters and research whether there was anything she should or shouldn’t do when meeting Tassius’s family for the first time. She could get clarification from Tassius after his meeting, he’d be off shift soon anyway.

Humming to herself contentedly, she walked to her room.

****************

Gwen had just finished reading a fascinating article by an asari matriarch who’d only ever bonded with turians. Apparently, “meeting the family,” wasn’t as big a deal in turian culture as it was for humans. It was the engagement, or _promissum_ that really mattered. Getting family approval of a new mate involved an almost ritualistic exchange of words from the party asking to the head of the family, followed by a “debating” period, where the family members decided if the match was prudent, and whether to give the potential couple their blessing.

It was more involvement then human families had in their children’s engagements. At least from the culture Gwen was raised in and knew. She wondered if Tassius’s family would approve of her as a mate for their son, or if this type of ritual she was reading about was something that fell out of favor a century ago. _You’re dating, not engaged_ , she reminded herself.

Her omni tool pinged, and she glanced down to see a message from Aurelius. Confused, she opened it.

**A. Naxxus [Serpent Nebula, Widow System]**

**15:02**

**Why didn’t you tell me the Kabalim got a promotion? I can’t believe he’s going to be a General!**

Gwen sat staring at her omni tool for what felt like an eternity before she slowly sent a reply.

**G. Kedar [Serpent Nebula, Widow System]**

**15:09**

**I didn’t say anything because he didn’t tell me! When the hell did this happen?**

 

**A. Naxxus [Serpent Nebula, Widow System]**

**15:11**

**Ah shit! I shouldn’t have said anything. Hey, I don’t want to make any problems, but he’s off duty now, maybe you can ask him?**

The last thing Gwen wanted to do was put Aurelius in the middle of an argument between herself and Tassius. But it stung to know that her boyfriend hadn’t come to her first with this great news, and had told the Cabal and who knew how many other people before her.

Still, she was excited for him. This was something he’d been working toward for years. She wondered what his next step would be before assuming the mantle of “General Malolin.”

Anxious to find Tassius, Gwen got out of her chair and went in search of him. She found him in the armory saying something to Tiberius and Cyrus. She walked over and waited impatiently for the other two men to leave, before all but prancing over to Tassius.

“Tassius! Why didn’t you tell me you got a promotion? That’s amazing! When did you find out?”

She smiled up at him, hands pressed against his armored chest. Tassius glanced around to ensure no one was watching before bending down to nuzzle her forehead with a purr and excited sounding subvocals.

“The Captain told me it would be coming soon while we were on the Citadel, but I didn’t get official confirmation until about an hour ago. I had to tell my men. Prepare them for me leaving.”

Gwen pulled away from him. “What do you mean ‘prepare them for you leaving?’ Are you… Do you have to go somewhere?”

Tassius looked almost confused. “Well, of course I have to leave. I’ve been reassigned to Taetrus for a final evaluation before assuming my new citizenship tier.”

Gwen pulled back further out of his arms, hurt winning the battle with confusion. “And, you’ve known you’ll have to leave and be reassigned to Taetrus since the first day we were on the Citadel?”

She cursed herself for how shaky her voice sounded. _He wouldn’t have done that_ , her mind tried to reassure her. _This is just some cross-species miscommunication_. _He would have told you if something in his duties would affect your relationship._

“Well, yes, I knew.” Tassius was still loosely holding her hands, a perplexed look on his face.

Gwen let her hands fall out of his grip, as she stared at the ground. _I’m such an idiot_ , she mentally berated herself. _Of course he doesn’t feel the same way about me, he just didn’t want me sleeping with anyone else._

“Gwen?” Tassius reached for her and she recoiled as if zapped by electricity.

“It’s my own fault,” she said with a mirthless laugh. “I just thought that… it doesn’t matter, I guess.” She looked back up to Tassius who still looked confused, but had a distressed sounding whine building in his chest.

“I’m happy for you, Tassius. This is what you’ve always wanted. And you deserve it.” She tried to give him a genuine smile while still holding back the tears she could feel threatening to fall. _He never loved you. He didn’t even bother to tell you he was getting a promotion and leaving._

“Gwen, what’s wrong? I don’t understand.” Tassius tried to reach for her again and she shrugged him off, wrapping her arms around herself as the tears began to run down her face and steal her voice.

She shook her head. “You’re fine,” she choked out. “I’m just an idiot. I’ll -” her chest heaved as she bit back a sob. _Don’t let him see you cry! Get out of here, you’re making a scene!_ Her mind hissed.

Vision blurring and heart shattering, Gwen walked as rapidly as she could to the elevator, silently praying no one was staring at her.

But Tassius wasn’t done tormenting her, it seemed. He quickly caught up to her and pushed his way into the elevator.

“Gwen, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” The whine in his subvocals had gotten louder and was joined with a soft keen. “Please, tell me what’s wrong.”

“What do you mean what’s wrong? You found out you were getting a promotion days ago, which would mean you leaving _The Steadfast_ , and ME, and you didn’t even bother mentioning that to me?” Gwen pawed at her eyes, but the tears kept coming, as did the words from her broken heart.

“I thought you cared about me. That you wanted something more than just sex. You made me care, I thought you wanted to see where this could go. Fuck!” Gwen gave up on trying to dry her eyes and glared at Tassius with tears streaming down her face. “Was this all a game to you? Play along at being “boyfriend” until you had to go? Find yourself something better once you were back on Taetrus?”

It seemed some of what she was saying had made it through, as Tassius’s mouth hung open slightly and the keen she’d heard before became louder, and combined with an odd wailing noise.

“This isn’t a game! I never… I don’t… Gwen, I love you. There isn’t anything better than you! I didn’t think my promotion was worth mentioning until it had actually happened… I, I’m sorry…” He tried to reach for her again and this time she let him take her small hand in his comparably giant one.

“I love you too, Tassius. And that’s why this hurts so much.”

The elevator doors swooshed open and Gwen tore from his grasp to race down the hall to her quarters. Once behind closed doors, she curled up on her bed, buried her face in her pillow, and sobbed until her heart was numb, and she didn’t have to think about the fact that Tassius loved her, but hadn’t bothered to say he was leaving until the last minute.

***************

 Tassius stepped out of the elevator and gazed down the hall in the direction Gwen had run _crying because of you!_ His self-conscious reminded him. He felt as though his own heart were being ripped from his chest.

 _You should have told her! Told her a promotion was close and what that would mean!_ Hindsight was a cruel thing. He walked back into the elevator and robotically hit the button for the third level and his own room. His _amicae_ clearly wanted to be alone for a while. _If she still even IS your amicae_. Tassius allowed himself to keen loudly at the thought of losing her.

No, he didn’t want to lose her. He loved her. So much in such a short amount of time. He’d make this right, somehow. _And how are you going to do that?_ His mind mocked him as he walked through the door to his quarters.

The military depot on Taetrus was massive and supplied the weapons and armor for much of the Hierarchy. From what Gwen had told him, a contract was going to be negotiated soon between Hahne-Kedar Armory and a Hierarchy Chief of Armor and Munitions Requisitions. Maybe he could inquire with Commander Cassius? Ensure Gwen could stay on Taetrus to negotiate the final contract and oversee shipment?

Tassius shook his head. He wasn’t a businessman, he was a solider. But, if Gwen wanted to stay on Taetrus for the contract negotiation and afterwards… He needed to talk to her. Apologize, figure out a solution.

He’d never had to consult with others when it came to his career. He did as commanded, without question. But now, with Gwen… He was serious about her. About them. And if they were ever to officially bond, he’d need to start informing her immediately about when his career might impact their relationship and time together.

 _I hope she’ll forgive me_ , he thought wistfully, sitting down on his bed. He knew he needed to give her some space, but Spirits if he didn’t want to go to her right now. He laid down on his covers and stared up at the cold, gray ceiling of his room.

When he finally forced himself to sit up, he was stunned to see he’d been laying in a depressed melancholy for nearly an hour. _Maybe she’ll talk to me_ , he hoped.

He took the time to change out of his armor and into civilian clothes. Gwen liked him in civvies, and he was coming unarmed, to ask for forgiveness. He pondered what he would say to her, assuming she was willing to talk with him. But, when he reached the door to her quarters, he was more unsure of himself than he’d ever been.

He gently rapped on the metal door. “Gwen, it’s me. I, can I come in? Please?” He waited with nervous vocals until he heard someone approaching, and the door slid open.

Her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked miserable. His heart cracked against his ribs, aching to comfort his love.

“Can I come in?” He asked again.

Gwen nodded and moved aside, permitting him entry. Once the door shut back behind them, he keened softly.

“Gwen, I’m so, so sorry. I should have told you sooner. I didn’t…” He sighed, looking at the floor, before back to the downturned face of his dearest love.

“I’ve never had an _amicae_ before,” he began. “No one’s ever cared about what I did or where I might be transferred. I… I’m not used to sharing details about my work life with others, aside from telling my family if I’ll be in Vallum.”

Gwen had raised her head and was looking to him, which he took as encouragement to press on. “I love you, Gwen. I _want_ to be with you. To stay with you. I should have told you I’d be getting a promotion sooner than I thought, as soon as I found out. I never, _ever_ , meant to hurt you.” His subvocals whined at the thought that he’d caused her pain.

“And, I hope you can forgive me. I’m still new to being in a relationship, but, I want us to be together. See where this goes. And if you’re willing, and want to, I can make sure that your contract negotiation with the Hierarchy takes place on Taetrus. With me. If, I mean…”

He was downright keening now, like a fledging with a broken heart and he couldn’t find it in himself to care. “If you still want to be with me, I want to be with you.”

He wasn’t sure how he’d manage to pull himself together if she told him to get out. If she said it was over, a piece of himself would surely be crushed under the weight of her rejection.

“I want to be with you Tassius. I love you, too.” She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. His subharmonics let out a chirrup of relief before he pulled her into a crushing hug.

Eventually, Gwen lifted her head and pulled gently on his cowl, encouraging him to lower his head to nuzzle against her brow. As he scented her with his marking glands, reaffirming that they were together, he let out a shuddering sigh, and his subvocals began to sing. It was a song as old as the turian people themselves, yet unique and only for _her_.

He doubted she understood all the nuances of an _aeternum_ _song_ , lacking subharmonics of her own, but he purred to her all the same.

“So, how can you ensure I’ll be able to handle all the Hahne-Kedar contract business on Taetrus?” Gwen finally asked.

Tassius chuffed at her gently, running a talon through her hair. “I have a superior on Taetrus. An old friend. He also happens to be one of the Hierarchy’s Chiefs of Armor and Munitions Requisitions. If you secure a Hierarchy contract, I can ask him to have the final negotiations take place in Vallum. If I tell him we’re, uh, seeing each other, he’d probably do it as a favor.”

In truth, Chief Commander Cato Cassius was like family to him. He’d taken a special interest in Tassius ever since he was young, and mentored him with the firm, loving guidance of a parent. A great deal of Tassius’s accomplishments could be attributed to Commander Cassius’s advice and training. He would do this for Tassius. The Commander lived on Taetrus anyway, and if he didn’t have to leave Vallum, then all the better.

“Sounds like a good person to know.” The light had returned to Gwen’s golden eyes and Tassius cupped her cheek to give her his best approximation of a human style kiss. “You’ll like him,” he assured her. “He’s not arrogant, or raciest like some others I could mention.”

“Susan’s an asshole. And probably a terrorist. But screw him for now. With the report Captain Vallokius wrote, my father and uncle submitted a full contract request to the Hierarchy today. We should be hearing back in a few days about a meeting. Probably with this friend of yours.” Gwen smiled.

“If we can do the negotiation in Vallum, then I’d love to stay with you. I’m getting a bit tired of ship life anyway. Does Vallum have any fun beaches?”

Tassius swept her up in his arms, nuzzling her forehead as he purred. “I’ll show you all the best beaches, restaurants and shops.” He promised her.

Gwen reached under his fringe and began to massage the soft patch of hide there, ever mindful of his biotic amp. Tassius moaned. “I, Spirits, Gwen.”

He wanted to join with her. Reaffirm their bond in the basest way possible. He laid her down on her bed, which was appreciably smaller than his own, and began to lick and nip behind her ear and down the column of her neck.

Gwen tugged at his shirt, apparently of a like mind, and he helped her undo the clasps and pull it off as he struggled to free her of her own clothing while still keeping his mouth on her body.

When they were both bare, he nipped his way down her torso and to the juncture between her legs. He slowly dragged his tongue over her, while rubbing at her nub with the pad of a finger. Gwen gasped as she spread her legs wider for him, clutching desperately at the sheets.

She tasted almost sweet to him. He wasn’t sure if that was due to the difference in chirality, but he loved her unique flavor, and was more than happy to please her with his tongue. Using two of his fingers to spread her folds, he drove his tongue inside her in deep plunges, savoring her cries and needy moans.

Only when her walls began to constrict around him did he move his face back and climb up onto the bed. She liked having his cock inside her when she came, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t love that too.

“Here, sit back on these,” she said breathlessly, tossing several pillows in his direction. Tassius grabbed them and placed them behind his cowl and around his hips, as he leaned back against the wall and reached out an eager hand to help her onto his lap.

He’d forced himself to stay behind his plates, and sensing what he wanted to do, Gwen positioned herself over his slightly parted opening. He erected into her faster than he was expecting, and he groaned in pleasure, closing his eyes at the feeling of her around him and her responding moan.

She didn’t wait long before she began to move, raising up onto her knees and sinking down again, setting a quick pace. Tassius grabbed her hips and thrust back up into her, savoring how she felt, and smelled, and the sounds of their love making.

Gwen’s movements began to falter as her orgasm started to crest. Tassius pulled her closer to him and started to thrust up into her harder, adding an additional roll to his hips so her sensitive clit rubbed against his pelvic plates.

Gwen came with a silent cry as her body shuddered around him. Gasping, Tassius continued to pump up into her until the growing heat in his belly exploded, and he spent himself inside her. He distinctly felt his knot swell and lock him to her, in an intimacy he’d never known before now.

He held her, rocking gently, and running his hands through her hair. His subvocals purred out his love, and Gwen slowly raised her face to look into his eyes, her cheeks tinted a faint pink, eyes heavy with bliss.

“What does that sound mean?” She asked softly, as she began to trace the colony markings on his cheeks with a tender hand. “It almost sounds like a song.”

Tassius reached up and placed her hand against the side of his neck, so she could feel his subharmonics better. “It is a song, I suppose. It means that I love you with all my heart. That I always want to be beside you. It means I’m yours.”

Gwen regarded him with an expression he couldn’t easily read, before saying, “it means all that?”

“Yes.” He responded, scenting her brow, and reveling in how she returned the gesture. “You have my heart.”

He couldn’t remember a time he was ever happier than when Gwen pulled back gently to kiss his mouth and whisper against his plated lips, “you have my heart, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the smut, there's going to be a bit of a break in the sexy-times ;) As always, feel free to hit me up on Tumblr @Wafflesrock16


	14. Human/Turian Relations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carissime – A Palaveni endearment, means loosely “my dearest love” 
> 
> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other
> 
> Nothi – A colloquial Taetrun word, basically means “bastard”
> 
> Malum – A small sweet fruit, similar to an apple

As _The Steadfast_ entered the Mactare system, Gwen began to feel more and more anxious. She’d woken up to find Tassius had already gone on shift, though he’d left her the sweetest note with a short poem attached and promised to rejoin her as soon as he was free.

But, that meant Gwen was now alone with her thoughts and anxiety. She needed to contact her father. Find out what was happening with the Hierarchy contract. And, she needed to tell her family about Tassius.

She was serious about him, and from their conversation last night, he was more than serious about her. Besides, assuming Tassius’s friend was the Hierarchy Chief they met with, her father would be coming to Taetrus, too, to meet the Chief and participate in negotiations and logistics. She didn’t want to blindside him with a turian boyfriend. _A very high ranking turian boyfriend_ , her mind whispered.

Tassius had answered all her questions about his impending promotion and what his new role as a General would entail. He would be on Taetrus for at least another two years following his new designation, and after that, he wasn’t sure where he would be stationed. He would request a post on Taetrus, to be sure, but the Hierarchy could send him elsewhere.

They had both agreed to take it one step at a time, though. They wanted to stay together and for now, that would mean her living on Taetrus. If the Hahne-Kedar contract was accepted, then that shouldn’t be an issue. Gwen could easily work from Vallum to oversee the armor requisitions.

But again, this meant letting her father in on her relationship with the Kabalim. Pulling up her omni tool, she contacted her dad on his private channel, used only for close friends and family.

“Gwenny! Hey! Do I have great news for you kiddo! You’ll never guess what Simon and I just finished signing!”

“Did the Hierarchy accept our contract?” Gwen’s voice went up several octaves in her excitement.

“Damn right they did! Your uncle and I just signed the documents finalizing the deal. I’ll be meeting with one of their Requisition Chiefs soon. Not sure where yet.”

Gwen danced a small jig in her tiny room, as her father continued, “of course, I want you there with me for the final negotiation and meeting. Those glowing reports you secured were the main reason we got this contract. What do you say, Goldie?”

“Of course I want to be there! God, dad, this is such great news!” Gwen exclaimed.

“Isn’t it?” While not on vid chat, she could practically see her father beaming through the connection. “I’ll make arrangements with Captain Vallokius, you can depart _The Steadfast_ in Vallum and come back to Earth until we figure out where the final meeting is going to be held.”

Gwen felt a nervous weight settle on her chest like a brick. “Actually, dad, if it’s alright, I’d like to stay on Taetrus for a while. I have it on good authority that our negotiation is probably going to take place in Vallum, anyway.”

“Why would you want to stay on Taetrus?” The confusion was plain in her father’s voice, and taking a calming breath, Gwen hoped he’d be supportive.

“I’ve… started seeing someone. He’s from Vallum, and is going to be stationed there for the foreseeable future. And he’s invited me to stay with him.”

Her father was silent for a beat before stating the obvious. “You’re dating a turian. From _The Steadfast’s_ crew?”

He didn’t sound upset, per se, so Gwen forced herself to press on. “Yea, um. Actually, you’ve already heard of him. Kabalim Tassius Malolin. He’s getting promoted, but will be stationed in Vallum for the next few years.”

“Gwen, sweetie, I don’t care that you’re dating a turian if he makes you happy.” Her father said in the patient tone he usually reserved for people he thought were incompetent. “But, this can’t last. If Kabalim Malolin is getting promoted then the Hierarchy is going to ship him off somewhere unsuitable for humans. Palaven, for instance. I don’t want to see you throw away your career to follow after some boy who can’t promise you the stability you deserve.”

Gwen suppressed an indignant huff. Her father’s concerns were coming from a place of love, but the fact that he thought her staying on Vallum with Tassius meant she was turning her back on Hahne-Kedar Armory, and her eventual role as a co-owner really rankled her.

“I’m not quitting the business, dad.” She said, forcing her voice to stay calm. “Taetrus has one of the biggest armor and munitions storehouses in the Hierarchy. I could oversee all the armor transfers and seek to further integrate Hahne-Kedar Armory within the Hierarchy. There’s a lot of potential for more weapons and armor contracts if we play our cards right. Having a high-ranking company official planet side after final negotiations, giving us visibility, our chances at getting more Hierarchy contracts would essentially triple.”

She took a calming breath before continuing.

“And you’re acting like I’m already engaged. We’re dating, and it currently would work out for me to stay on Taetrus, in Vallum. _If_ things become more serious, than we’d need to discuss the Hierarchy military and our living situation. But we’re not there yet, and probably won’t be for quite some time. And either way, I’m not giving up my career to follow after him.”

Her father listened quietly, before saying, “well, you’re an adult, Gwen. If you want to stay with your boyfriend on Taetrus, I can’t stop you. I still don’t think this is a great idea in the long run, but we can talk about it again as our meeting gets closer.” He sighed. “The Kabalim, Tassius. Does he treat you good? Make you happy?”

“Yeah dad. He does. He’s a wonderful man. I’d like you to meet him.”

Gwen said.

Her father sighed again, though this one was more paternal in nature. “If he’s important to you, then I’d like to meet him, too. And don’t think your mother’s going to miss out on _that_.”

Gwen laughed softly. “I think you’ll both like him.”

“Boyfriend aside, I’ll contact you as soon as I receive a meeting location and date from Hierarchy officials. Stay safe sweet heart, we’ll be in touch.”

Gwen let out a relieved sigh as she ended the call. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted her family to like Tassius. They would like him too, once they got to know him. She was sure of that. Now, she just hoped his family liked her.

********

The entire crew was reeling by the time _The Steadfast_ docked in Vallum. News of Saren Arterius’s attack on the Citadel had spread like wildfire, and Gwen’s normally calm, professional shipmates were practically vibrating with disbelief and shock.

Gwen herself had been stunned into open mouthed silence. How could he have hit the Citadel as hard as the reports were saying? The damage that flickered across nearly every available vid-screen was unbelievable. Buildings leveled, fire and twisted metal littering the once picturesque Presidium.

The only good news was that Commander Shepard had arrived just in time and backed by the Alliance Navy, had saved the Citadel Council onboard the Destiny Ascension, and destroyed Saren’s monster geth ship and army. The cost had been high though. Nearly 2,400 Alliance servicemen dead and the loss of eight cruisers. Not that the other races had come out unscathed. It sounded like the Hierarchy lost over twenty cruisers, with major damage to the entire Citadel fleet.

Without having to confirm with anyone, Gwen already knew the Captain would be taking some personal leave to return to the Citadel. She’d seen him pacing in the hallway outside the CIC. She hoped his family was doing alright. It didn’t sound like the Hospital Tosca worked at was hit, nor were many schools, so chances were the Captain’s wife and son were fine. But still. He’d obviously want to be home for a few days.

“You must be _loving_ this, human.”

To her credit, Gwen didn’t moan, or growl out in frustration at bumping into Susan at the elevator. Remembering the XO’s comments from the last time she engaged the local bigot, Gwen resolved to try and take the higher road.

“I’m not sure why you think I’d love the deaths of thousands of Alliance soldiers, or the destruction of the Citadel, and to be honest, I don’t really care.”

She said not looking at him as she spoke.

Susan made a squawking, honking noise in his chest, causing Gwen to crease her brow and stare at him as though he might suddenly explode.

“You love it because humans have been given a seat on the Council! Do you know how long it took turians to gain a Council seat? Of course you don’t!” He quickly stated before Gwen could answer.

“All of our fleets were nearly destroyed by those krogan savages before we had a say in the Council! You lose what? Barely 2,000 people and a handful of ships and suddenly humanity are galactic heroes?” Susan scoffed, crossing his arms and glaring down his cracked, faded slate plates at her. “You may have a Council seat, but it was not earned the same as us.”

Gwen rolled her eyes, and as she stepped into the elevator - which Susan refused to enter with her - she peevishly called out as the doors shut, “Get used to it Susan, we’re here to stay!”

Still irritated as she made her way to her quarters to pack up her things, she almost didn’t see Tassius approaching her until she’d nearly walked into him.

“Hey Tass,” she said, anger forgotten as she gazed into his gorgeous, ruby eyes. “You off duty? 

Tassius purred softly, and for once didn’t scan their surroundings to make sure they were alone before reaching out to caress a finger against her cheek.

“I am,” he replied. “I came to help you pack your belongings for shipment to my family’s… Bed and Breakfast.”

Gwen chuckled at how cute it sounded when he said it. “Is your family expecting us?” _Expecting ME?_

“They are,” he confirmed, mandibles pulled up in what she’d come to recognize as a smile. “And my sister, in particular, is very excited to meet you.”

Gwen smiled despite her nerves. _Please let them like me,_ she internally prayed. Taking Tassius by the hand, the pair went into Gwen’s room and began to pack up her large storage crate with her clothing and toiletries. Tassius looked downright confused at some of the items Gwen tossed haphazardly into the crate.

“It’s nail polish, Tass.” Gwen chuckled as Tassius inspected the small vial of paint between two large talons. “You use it to paint on your finger and toe nails.”

“But… why?” He seemed so genuinely confused that Gwen couldn’t help but laugh.

When they’d finally packed up all her things, except for the outfit she planned to wear off the ship, Gwen turned to him with a slight frown.

“Tassius, do you think the locals are going to give me any trouble? What with humans gaining a Council seat and all? Susan was pretty pissed about it, and… I dunno.” She rubbed lamely at her arm. Taetrus was a colony world. The biggest one in the Hierarchy, sure, but the population was probably almost exclusively turian.

Tassius rumbled in thought before gently taking her small hand in his. “Not everyone is going to be happy with humans getting so much power, so quickly. Even if it is deserved. But, Vallum is a major city, and one founded primarily on trade. You’re going to get some looks, there aren’t too many humans here, though the Alliance has been having ships dock more frequently. I don’t think anyone would do anything to you though.” He brought her hand up to his mouth plates, giving it a light nip in his version of a kiss.

“Maybe just stay close to me for the first few days? My family lives in a good neighborhood, no one would try to harm you. But, just until we get a feel on local politics, don’t go wandering off alone.”

Gwen hadn’t intended to go anywhere without Tassius, mostly because she didn’t know where anything was located. She definitely wouldn’t be walking anywhere alone now, though. She hoped the turian population wasn’t too resentful of humanity’s newly claimed Council status. It’d be painfully difficult for her to stay here otherwise.

As though sensing her thoughts, Tassius gently lifted her chin up with a finger to give her a reassuring smile and hum. “It’ll be alright, _carissime._ We’re not all like Susan.”

Gwen chuckled at his use of the name for the bigoted gunnery officer. If she had accomplished nothing else while onboard _The Steadfast_ , getting the rest of the crew to refer to Officer Sareris as “Susan,” was an achievement she was pleased with.

Pulling away to get into fresh clothes, she hoped Tassius was right.

********

Tassius pulled Gwen after him through the crowded dock. He’d contacted Commander Cassius as soon as Gwen had told him that the Hahne-Kedar contract was accepted. His old friend and mentor was surprised to learn that Tassius had fallen in love with a human, but had agreed to arrange the final contract negotiation to take place on Taetrus. It benefited him to not have to travel elsewhere anyways.

He had all but demanded to meet Gwen immediately, though. He said he wanted to meet the entrancing human who’d stolen the heart of his favorite subordinate. Tassius had agreed, and while nervous, so had Gwen. They were now headed to the skycar port to rent a car and meet the Commander at a local café run by an asari/turian couple.

“I should have worn something else.” Gwen fretted as Tassius entered the nav-point into the vehicle. “Cut off shorts and a tank top? What was I thinking? I should’ve worn a dress and just dealt with the heat!”

Tassius thought her outfit was fine, but perhaps this was a human thing he didn’t fully understand. He personally loved how much of her lovely, cream colored skin was on display, and wasn’t sure why she didn’t show it off more frequently.

“Commander Cassius won’t be concerned with what you’re wearing.” He assured her. “This is just a casual meeting. It makes more sense to have it now while we’re in the city than after we’re settled at my family’s home for the evening.”

Gwen frowned as she stared out the window at the passing domed buildings, wide streets, and people. “I guess,” was all she said.

When they pulled up next to the large café, Tassius was pleased to see there was a pair of humans and several asari inside. _Hopefully she won’t feel so out of place_ , he thought.

Walking into the café, Tassius immediately recognized Commander Cassius, who was seated toward the back near a large and colorful mosaic, with a large cup of Kava. Thrumming excitedly, Tassius gently urged Gwen forward.

“Commander,” Tassius greeted with a polite bow.

His old friend brushed aside the formalities with a grunt. “Please, we’re off duty. It’s just Cato.” Turning his full attention to Gwen, he rumbled in greeting before extending his hand in a very human gesture he must have picked up somewhere.

Gwen looked a bit surprised, but took his hand and gave it a firm shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander.”

“I just told Tassius, none of this ‘Commander’ business while we’re off duty. That goes for you, too.”

“I’m happy we could all meet up like this,” Tassius stated as he pulled out an asari style chair for Gwen and then a turian chair for himself. “I know you’ve been extremely busy.”

“Going to be even busier after that stunt that _nothi_ Arterius pulled. The Hierarchy is going to be even more stringent in its patrols after this.” He shook his head before muttering, “filthy barefaced coward,” not entirely under his breath.

“So, Cato, how long have you known Tassius?” His _amicae_ was amazing in her ability to change a conversation and with it, the mood.

The Commander looked back to her with flared mandibles. “I’ve known this fledgling since he was thirteen! His father brought him to the base for a tour and I saw the leadership potential immediately. I’ve been mentoring him ever since.” His subvocals radiated pride, and Tassius strove not to blush at the compliment. 

“Do you primarily work at the munitions base here? Or do you travel?”

“I do what the Hierarchy command tells me. For better or worse, I’ve been in Vallum for twenty years now. But enough about that! Tell me Guinevere, how did you capture Tassius’s heart?”

Tassius noticed Gwen’s brow briefly crease at the use of her full name, but she didn’t correct Cato as she responded, “you’d probably have to ask him that. To be honest, I thought he hated me the first time we met. I kinda barged in on him while he was in the shower.”

Tassius trilled in surprise. If anything, he had thought she didn’t like _him_ upon learning he was a biotic. He’d thought she had beautiful hair and a gorgeous waist from the very first moment they’d met.

“Ah, a cross-species romance for the ages,” Cato was saying, with no small amount of humor in his subvocals. “I am pleased to see Tassius looking so enamored. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure he’d ever meet someone. Always wrapped up in studying or training.”

Tassius huffed. “I just needed the right person.” Purring, he gently squeezed Gwen’s bare leg under the table.

“Tell me, Cato, are you still looking to get into distilling your own liquor?” He asked, changing the subject. He wasn’t ashamed of loving Gwen, far from it. But, he preferred to keep the true depths of his heart between just the two of them.

“Indeed I am!” His old friend eagerly responded. “I ordered a 50 gallon still from a manufacture on Earth, actually,” he said looking to Gwen. “Your people are so inventive when it comes to brewing and distilling! They can make anything alcoholic, it seems. I’m going to be using _malum_ fruits to make my own gin.”

Tassius chuckled, settling into his chair as Cato started to explain the distilling process and his hopes to bottle his own spirits. It was good to be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have to imagine not all the races were thrilled with humans getting a Council seat, even if Shepard did save the Destiny Ascension. As always, feel free to say hello to me on Tumblr, @Wafflesrock16.


	15. The Malolins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other
> 
> Nothi – A colloquial Taetrun word, basically means “bastards”

Gwen was down-right disgusting by the time the skycar pulled into _Altera Domi,_ the Bed and Breakfast Tassius’s family owned and operated. The climate on Taetrus was going to take some serious getting used to.

She was accustomed to the heat, having grown up in Hawaii. But the arid atmosphere, and complete lack of wind? That was what had turned her into a gross, half-melted mess. She’d asked Tassius if she smelled horrible, and his infuriatingly sweet response that “she always smelled amazing,” didn’t give her much confidence.

Gwen exited the vehicle while holding her arms away from her body in a futile attempt to air out her underarms. _I probably smell rank and look terrible_ , she though grumpily. Tassius, who had exited the car already, began to make a chirping sound as an older looking, female turian appeared on what Gwen was going to call the verandah of the building.

The house was reminiscent of a Victorian style home, like those found in the continental United States. But the architecture was more militaristic, and had what looked like turrets jutting off the four sides of the building. The roof on the main portion of the house was a gorgeous, bronze colored dome. The adjoining towers were likewise crowned with domed roofs, though not nearly as ornate, and they appeared to be made from some type of lime stone. Positioned atop the verandah, the home reminded Gwen of a fortress more than a Bed and Breakfast. 

“Mom!” Tassius looked like he wanted to run to the woman, but didn’t, and instead strode up to her to gently caress his left mandible against his mother’s faded, pewter grey facial plates.

 _Shit! I never asked what her name was!_ Gwen mentally cursed, following Tassius up to the slightly raised granite platform he was standing on. Tassius gently placed a hand around her waist in a show of physical affection he didn’t normally display in public.

“Mom, this is Gwen Kedar.”

 “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Malolin.” Gwen bowed politely.

The older turian fixed Gwen with deep, autumn orange eyes. Despite the unusual color, they appeared pleasant enough.

“Please, call me Cornelia.” Her voice radiated an undercurrent of intelligence so strong, that Gwen almost felt like she was talking with one of her college professors.

“Cornelia.” Gwen repeated. “Thank you so much for allowing me to stay with your family.”

Cornelia tilted her head. “You are my son’s _amicae_. Of course you would stay with us.” Her mandibles flared softly in a turian smile. “Anyone who can make my Tassius as happy as you’ve made him is always welcome in my home.” 

Tassius made a low buzzing sound, which Gwen had come to associate with being embarrassed. His mother only chuckled, and with an authoritative wave, beckoned them both into Tassius’s childhood home.

The entrance was much larger than a typical human home of the same size, and there were built in shelves lining the walls. Vases of the most lustrous silver, amethyst, and magenta flowers vied for space on the shelves, and it was almost like walking inside a botanical garden on Earth, if not for the colors of the flower petals, which resembled the hues normally seen in gem stones.

Gwen tried not to go too wide eyed, but she was impressed, to say the least.

“You two will be staying in Tassius’s room. We have two other guests with us this evening, they’re in the room toward the front of the house.” Cornelia gestured vaguely up the stairs.

“Thanks mom,” Tassius said, gently tugging on Gwen’s arm to encourage her to follow him.

“Tassius, have you and Gwen had dinner yet?” His mother’s question stopped him in his tracks.

“Well, no. But we had some kava and tea at the asari café in town not too long ago.”

“That is not dinner, Tassius.” His mother sighed, crossing her arms in a manner that reminded Gwen of her own mom. “When you’re done showing your _amicae_ around, come down to the kitchen. I purchased some levo food for Gwen, and I prepared you a sweet-meat platter.”

Whatever sweet meats were, they caused her boyfriend to rumble in appreciation and Gwen suspected, hunger. He must have said something else with his subvocals, as Gwen felt the air next to him get a bit heavy, and his mother uncrossed her arms and left them with a nod.

“My room’s upstairs,” Tassius said eagerly. To see him so comfortable and at ease where he was usually reserved and almost ridged when other people were around was delightful. Gwen loved his mother and house already if for no other reason than how relaxed being here made Tassius.

Gwen let Tassius lead her up a wide set of wooden stairs to the second floor. Much like the first floor, the lay out was quite open, though Gwen didn’t get much time to look around, as Tassius immediately veered to the left and took her to the room at the far end of the hallway. The door slid open at his palm signature and the pair stepped inside.

Tassius’s childhood room was as well organized as his quarters on _The Steadfast_ had been. More built in shelves lined the walls, but these were stuffed with data pads, and even a few actual books and texts. The effect made her smile as she noted her boyfriend essentially slept in a library. She’d bet more than a few credits that at least half of the pads and books in here were poetry.

Another panel door led to what Gwen assumed was a private bathroom. She hoped there was a shower, God only knew she needed to rinse off before going to bed.

Speaking of the bed, Tassius had walked over to the downright goliath sized, bowl shaped bed in the middle of the room. _Somebody likes to stretch out in their sleep_ , Gwen thought. _Too bad for him I like to cuddle._

“Fresh blankets,” Tassius was muttering to himself.

“What about the blankets?”

Tassius turned to her with his mandibles flared wide. “Want to see the best part about my room?”

He led her to the extremely large window that took up nearly an entire wall. Positioning her directly in front of it, he hit the control and the thick glass went from opaque, to a breath-taking cityscape. Taetrus had two moons, so it never got as dark as Earth did at night, but the lights of Vallum still twinkled brightly below them. A microcosm of energy and tall buildings, as bright as any star.

Gwen’s breath hitched. “Wow,” was all she could say as she walked closer to the window to gaze down upon the city.

Tassius purred as he walked up behind her to gently wrap his arms around her waist. “I used to sit in front of this window all day when I was younger. Writing poetry and admiring the city from my own little haven.” He sighed, lost in a peaceful memory of childhood existence.

Gwen hummed and leaned back into him as they gazed out over the alien city. Eventually, however, her stomach growled, reminding her how long it had been since she’d eaten. Tassius pulled back and looked to her with surprise.

“What was that?” He questioned.

Gwen laughed, realizing it must have sounded like subvocals to him. “That was my stomach. I dunno about you, but I could definitely go for some of that dinner your mom mentioned.”

Still staring at her midsection, Tassius’s head snapped up at the mention of food, and probably remembering that sweet-meats were involved, he took her tiny hand in his much larger one as they made their way back downstairs and to the spacious kitchen and dining area.

The kitchen reminded Gwen of one of those open kitchen-restaurants found on the Citadel, Thessia, and Earth. A short, stone counter separated the work area from a long, expensive looking wood table with six chairs on each side.

Gwen thought it made perfect sense that guests could watch their meal be prepared, or else quickly grab something else for themselves and return to the table. Tassius had made his way to the large steel fridge and had pulled himself out a bountiful tray of blue and purple meat, sliced in different sizes and arranged neatly in rows.

He all but purred as he set it on the stone counter top and went back to grab whatever it was his mother had purchased for Gwen. Gwen walked up behind him and tried to peer around his narrow waist. Tassius backed up and held out a respectably sized bowl of fruits. They looked like a mix of things both human and asari. Gwen licked her lips and pulled a mango out of the bowl before Tassius could set it down.

There was also whole wheat bread and peanut butter and eggs, though she’d need to cook the later and was more interested in eating immediately.

As Gwen and Tassius sat eating their supper, and Tassius swallowed some more of what Gwen had initially thought were decorative pebbles, Gwen heard the door on the opposite side of the kitchen open. Cornelia gracefully entered, dressed in a bronze colored robe and loose fitted copper-brown pants. Behind her was an older male turian with deep, mocha brown plates and crimson eyes, the same as Tassius. Gwen figured this must be Tassius’s father, and attempted to quickly swallow her mouthful of food, just as Tassius rose from his seat.

“Hey dad,” he said caressing mandibles with the older man, much as he had done with his mother earlier that evening.

“Tassius,” his father clasped his sons’ arm. “I am so proud of you! A General? It’s more than we ever hoped for.” The pride radiated off his father in waves, both from his subharmonics and in his flared mandibles.

Tassius made an embarrassed buzz before motioning to Gwen as she approached. “Dad, this is Gwen.” He said with a happy sounding thrum to his vocals. “Gwen, this is my father, Romulus.”

Romulus turned to Gwen, but unlike his wife, was not as open in his greeting. It seemed to Gwen like he was sizing her up, before he politely bowed to her. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Gwen,” he said with controlled subharmonics.

 _Crap. He probably doesn’t like me because I’m a human and he thinks his son could do better,_ Gwen thought miserably, though outwardly she returned his bow.

Picking up on her discomfort, Tassius gently wrapped an arm around her to tuck her against his side before turning back to his parents.

“We were just having some dinner. Will you join us?” Gwen didn’t miss the hopeful note to his voice, nor did his parents, it seemed, as his mother hummed warmly and headed to the table.

“We’d love to,” his father said, walking to a cupboard in the kitchen area and taking out a box of what looked like crackers. _At least he’s willing to share a meal with me_ , Gwen thought, still uncertain of the Malolin patriarch.

Taking a seat next to his wife and across the table from Gwen and Tassius, his father gingerly plucked a few pebbles from the small ramakin near Tassius and swallowed them whole, much as his son had. _Gizzards seem like a pain in the ass_ , Gwen mused, grateful she didn’t need to eat rocks to enjoy her food.

“So, Gwen,” Cornelia began. “Tassius tells us your family owns a large weapons armory?” There was a curious hum to her vocals. Gwen figured private ownership over an armory must seem strange to a race whose military controlled all aspects of weapons, armor and munitions.

“Yes, Hahne-Kedar Armory is the largest, privately owned armor and weapons manufacturer in the Alliance. We contract with the military and fabricate, design, and produce over half of the armor and munitions used. We also do private contracts, and recently just had a contract with the Hierarchy accepted for armor.”

Cornelia looked impressed, with raised brow ridges. Though once again, Romulus was proving difficult to read.

“When you say “private contracts,” what do you mean?” He queried.

“Unlike in the Hierarchy, the private security sector is big business. Corporations like those found on Noveria, Earth, and other Alliance affiliated colonies place armor and weapons orders as well. These are seriously vetted though. Our company does _not_ sell weapons to mercs.” Gwen emphasized the last part of her statement, sensing that Romulus believed Hahne-Kedar might sell to anyone with credits.

In reality, Gwen was aware that Hahe-Kedar produced munitions and armor did make its way into mercenary and gang hands. But, this was not done consciously on her father or uncle’s part. At least, not as far as she knew.

Thankfully, and due perhaps in part to the subvocals she could feel coming off her boyfriend, Romulus dropped the subject with a mere, “good.” _Not like Armax Arsenal hasn’t produced weapons used by gangs, criminals and mercs,_ she thought.

“This business sounds very lucrative,” Cornelia noted. “Is all your family active in running the company?”

“Just my father and uncle. Though, technically Simon isn’t family, I guess. He and my dad are best friends since forever. Practically brothers. I consider him an uncle, anyway.”

Gwen took a sip of water from her oddly shaped turian glass. “My mother is in the Alliance Parliament, and neither of my brothers are interested, so, I’ll probably be the one taking over the business from my father when he retires.”

In fact, given that her uncle Simon had no heirs of his own, Gwen knew for a fact she’d be the one assuming ownership of Hanhe-Kedar Armory when both men stepped down. That was more than a few decades away, however, and seemed like a very distant future sometimes.

“Your family must be quite wealthy,” Romulus said.

“We are,” Gwen admitted. _No point in trying to lie when he can go look it up on the extranet_.

Her blunt admittance seemed to surprise both of Tassius’s parents. She could almost see Romulus wanting to ask her for the Kedar family net worth, but the older man chose instead to change the topic.

“Is this your first visit to Taetrus?” He asked, placing some of the meat from Tassius’s platter on his tongue and swallowing it whole.

“It is,” Gwen replied. “It’s a bit dryer than the climate I’m used to, but the city is gorgeous, and I love the building designs.”

“Vallum is the jewel of the colony world cities.” Romulus stated proudly.

“It’s the biggest turian city off Palaven,” Tassius added. “The Diluvian Wildlands have rich mineral deposits, and Taetrus’s location itself make it a trade hub for the Hierarchy.”

Romulus made a snorting sound. “Don’t get me started on the Diluvian Wildlands! Those Facinus _nothi_ have turned that wretched marsh into their political stronghold. All you hear from people traveling from Eluria is how toxic the political atmosphere is over there. Did you know Facinus members tried to bomb the Spaedar space port?”

“Come now, let us not ruin Gwen’s stay with the separatist rantings of a group of few, doomed to fail.” Cornelia said before turning to Gwen.

“Vallum is a liberal city, with trade from nearly every race. You don’t need to worry about Facinus, they’re on an entirely different continent and little more than propagandists.”

“I’m hoping to take Gwen out to the beach tomorrow.” Tassius cut in before his parents could continue discussing politics. “The weather is supposed to be perfect, and Tilk Beach shouldn’t be too crowded.”

“I’d love to see an ocean again,” Gwen happily agreed. “I grew up on an island, I miss the waves and the sounds of the shore. I even packed a swim suit on the off chance _The Steadfast_ would visit an ocean world.”

“Tilk Beach is lovely this time of year,” Cornelia agreed.

The rest of the meal was spent discussing more casual things, and by the end, Gwen could swear that Romulus actually liked her. Maybe just a little.

As she and Tassius bid his parents a good night, Gwen felt genuinely at ease in their home. _Wouldn’t mind staying here for a bit longer_ , she thought as she and Tassius headed up to his room.

********

When Gwen opened her eyes the next morning, it took her a minute to remember where she was. Pushing up onto her elbow, she noticed steam coming from underneath the bathroom door. _Wonder how long he’s been up_ , she thought, reaching out to the nightstand next to her to grab her omni tool.

Opening up her mail, she saw a message from her father marked “urgent” and immediately opened it.

_Guinevere,_

_I have received confirmation from the Hierarchy that final contract negotiations will be taking place on Taetrus, in Vallum, as you suspected. I will be departing Earth early tomorrow morning and will arrive in Vallum in the evening. The meeting will be the following morning. Be prepared.  
_

_Where are you staying? I’d like to rent a room close by, if possible. I’m bringing you what your mother has dubbed “the domination suit” whatever that means. (It’s a blue dress and jacket?)_

_Speaking of which, your mom is coming with me. She had some vacation time and like I told you, isn’t about to miss out on meeting this Kabalim boyfriend of yours. You should probably prepare **him** for that. _

_Please get back to me as soon as possible on lodgings for your mother and me. We both cannot wait to see you._

_Love,_

_Dad_

Gwen tipped her head back to stare up at the ceiling. She wondered if Tassius’s parents had room for her family to stay two nights. They would pay, of course, but that many humans under one roof might be slightly off-putting.

She didn’t recall passing by many other hotels. Tassius’s home was on a large hill overlooking the city, and there were mainly only residential houses out here it seemed.

Gwen distinctly heard the water in the bathroom shut off, and sliding out of the bed, she padded over to the closed door. Noticing it wasn’t locked, Gwen rapped her knuckles against it as it slid open.

Tassius had his back to her as he stood under what looked like a giant blow dryer. Water beaded down his russet plates, pushed back by the hot air.

“Tass?” Gwen called out over the noise of the wind.

He turned to face her and spread out his mandibles. “Good morning my sunbeam.”

Gwen snorted. She’d need to think of some more nicknames for him. She briefly wondered if he’d appreciate being called Thor, since his biotics were reminiscent of lightning. But, as her gaze lowered to her boyfriend’s waist, a devious smirk crossed her lips.

“Tassius, have you ever heard of the human god, Thor?”

He rumbled in confusion, not expecting the question at all. “No, I haven’t heard of him. Why?”

“Well, I was just thinking, you actually have a lot in common with him.” Gwen stepped closer as the large blow dryer shut off. “You both can make thunder and lightning, since you’re a biotic and all.”

Gwen could feel the huge grin struggling to break free as she tapped Tassius’s pelvic plates and continued, “and you both have a mighty hammer.”

“A hammer?” Tassius repeated looking totally lost.

Gwen snickered as she said, “yea, a hammer. Only yours is _blue_.”

Tassius narrowed his eyes. “Is that supposed to be a euphemism for my penis?”

“Thor’s hammer,” Gwen reminded him outright laughing now.

Tassius sighed and shook his head. “That’s ridiculous.” He informed her.

Settling down, Gwen moved in to give him a hug. “It’s ridiculous, but also totally appropriate.” She craned her head back to look into his nonplussed eyes, a smile still on her lips.

“Sleep well?” Tassius asked, clearly seeking to change the subject.

“I did,” Gwen answered. “Though, I have a question kinda related to sleep. My dad messaged me that he and my mom are leaving Earth tomorrow for our contract negotiation with Commander Cassius. He was wondering about places to stay nearby…”

Gwen trailed off as understanding registered on Tassius’s face. “I can ask my parents. There is one other couple here, but even including us, that leaves two other spare rooms. How long would they be here?”

“Just two nights, starting tomorrow evening. And they’ll obviously pay for their room. I’m not trying to burden your family.”

Tassius rumbled softly as he brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t think it will be a problem. I can ask my mother when we go downstairs.”

Nuzzling her forehead gently, Tassius walked back into his bedroom to get dressed, before stopping short and turning back to face her.

“Do your parents know that we’re, um, together? Romantically?”

Gwen tamped down on a laugh. _Nice to see I’m not the only one worried about meeting the parents_. “Yea, they know. That’s pretty much the entire reason my mom is coming. She wants to meet you.”

Tassius looked a bit taken aback. “Is meeting the parents a big thing in human culture?”

“Not to freak you out, but it actually is a big deal. And just a heads up, my mom is probably going to ask you some super embarrassing questions.”

“Oh. I see.” Tassius stood completely naked in the middle of his room looking so awkward and unsure that Gwen couldn’t resist walking over and giving him a hug.

“Don’t worry, they’ll love you.” She assured him.

Tassius relaxed his posture a bit before hugging her back. “And speaking of family, when do I get to meet your little sister?”

Tassius rumbled a laugh. “Livia is in the military, though the base she’s presently stationed at is nearby. She’ll be joining us for lunch, since today is my last free day before I must begin my final placement evaluations.”

He brushed his fingers through her hair. “If your family secures the armor contract, as it seems they will…” he trailed off and hummed, as though considering his words. “Will you… would you stay with me? Here? To oversee integration of the Hahne-Kedar Armory with the Hierarchy, or…” a soft keen laced his final statement. “…or will you go back to Earth?”

Gwen reached up to cup a russet mandible. “I’m going to stay with you Tass. I already discussed it a little with my dad. From a business standpoint there’s a lot to gain from me being here. And, of course, I couldn’t ask for better company.”

The chirruping, tweeting noise he made was unlike any she’d ever heard before, but she didn’t need subvocals of her own to understand the sound of joy. Tassius wrapped her in a tight hug, lifting her off the ground.

Giggling, Gwen wrapped her arms around his broad neck, and nuzzled her check against his, until Tassius finally set her down.

“Well!” Gwen exclaimed. “How about I wash up and we grab some breakfast before hitting this wonderful beach you mentioned?”

Tassius, purred out his love song, the one he used just for her, before agreeing, “that sounds like a great idea.”

Gwen smiled softly as she closed the bathroom door. _My parents are going to adore him,_ she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really love Tassius's parents, especially his mom. Hope ya'll liked them too. As always, feel free to drop by on Tumblr @wafflesrock16 and say hello.


	16. A Day On Taetrus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ludos – A common game played by turian children, involves walking exactly in another person’s footprints while trying to stay in a straight line. 
> 
> Subplantat – A slang word for “pervert”
> 
> Promissum – The turian version of an engagement or proposal, refers more to the ritual of bringing another person into the clan. Has greatly fallen out of use in turian modern culture. 
> 
> Flos – A type of beautiful, silver flower native to Palaven
> 
> Gantu – An armored, pungent creature, native to Taetrus which fills a similar ecological niche to that of the American Opossum 
> 
> Aeternum Song – Loosely translates to “heart song,” and is a type of vocalization turians make for their romantic partners. The song is specific to the mate, if a turian has more than one partner in a lifetime, the new song will vary drastically. 
> 
> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other

Tassius sat with his bare toes buried in the sienna colored sand of Tilk beach, watching the pale green waves softly lap at the shore. Gwen was down near the surf, in water up to her knees, with two younger boys trailing behind her and showing her how to play _ludos_.

Tassius smiled contentedly. Gwen certainly had a way with people, no matter the species. While she had drawn some attention - being the only human at a turian beach - no one had said anything rude, and the two young boys had quickly asked her to play with them. 

Her “bikini,” as she’d called it, was a barely-there scrap of pale pink fabric that hardly left anything to the imagination. More than a few people had taken notice of this and had been casting her curious, surreptitious, glances.

His own eyes had nearly fallen from their sockets when she’d removed her pants and shirt to lather on some sweet-smelling concoction called “sun-screen.” But then again, many turians didn’t bother with any clothing at all when they were around the water or sunbathing. So long as no one came unsheathed, there was nothing to see.

Still though. He was getting ideas, and wondered how Gwen would feel about wearing her bikini in the shower with him, so he could pull the string bows on the bottoms loose with his mouth plates and then –

“Hey Tassius!” Startled out of his lecherous day dream, he nearly swore as he turned to see the grinning face of his younger sister.

“Livia? What are you doing here?” He didn’t mean to sound grumpy, but if she noticed, Livia didn’t say anything.

Dressed in lilac colored beach shorts, similar to his own blue ones, she sat down next to him in the warm sand. “I was able to take a full day of leave. Mom told me you and Gwen were at Tilk beach and I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to find you and the only human.” She scanned the beach until her eyes landed on Gwen and her two young companions.

“Human beach wear sure is different from ours,” Livia said, cocking her head to better assess Gwen. “She seems really… short. Are all female humans as small as her?”

Tassius rumbled good naturedly. “I’m not sure. She did tell me once that she was actually above the average height for a human female.”

“Seriously?”

Tassius nodded, burrowing his feet deeper into the soft sand.

Gwen must have noticed he had company, as she said something to the young boys and trotted out of the waves, her breasts bouncing slightly against her body in a way that before would have done nothing for him, but now had Tassius mentally demanding his plates stay shut.

Livia stood up and politely bowed to her. Gwen returned the gesture, her beautiful, sun colored hair blowing behind her in the breeze.

“Livia, I’m guessing?” Gwen asked.

“Yup,” Livia responded with a pleased thrum at being recognized. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gwen. My brother refused to answer all my questions about you, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to ask in person!”

 _Don’t you dare ask her about our sex life you little subplantat_ , Tassius warned with his subvocals.

 _You’re not the boss of me Tassius_ , came the response.

 “I’ll answer whatever you want to know,” Gwen responded, oblivious to the subharmonics all around her.

 Livia chirped triumphantly, but much to Tassius’s relief instead asked, “is that typical beach wear for humans?”

 Gwen laughed. “It is, actually. Some people wear more fabric, some wear even less.” Gwen leaned back on her left foot. “Can you stay and hang out for a while with us? We’ve only been here an hour and I actually wanted to dunk my head beneath the waves, even if the water color is kinda weird.”

 Tassius looked out to the chartreuse breakers. While he was aware many oceans had blue water, the gorgeous green waves of Tilk beach were without comparison as far as he was concerned. Though, he hadn’t visited many other beaches to be fair.

 “You want to swim?” Livia said, concern in her subvocals.

 “Yea, why not? I used to scuba dive and underwater spear fish back home on Earth. I’m not going to go out too far, just enough to play around a little.”

“Well, you can I guess,” Livia scratched the back of her neck uncertainly. “I dunno, most turians avoid getting our heads underwater. Our carapaces aren’t really buoyant, drowning is always a concern.”

“Gwen doesn’t have a carapace,” Tassius stated flatly. “Go for it,” he told his _amicae_. “I wanted to sun bathe a bit longer anyway.”

“I’ll come back to dry off in a few minutes,” Gwen assured them, before turning to head back into the water.

 Sighing contentedly, Tassius sat back down on the sand, pilling some up to support his carapace so he could lie down comfortably.

“Wow, she really is a good swimmer,” Livia commented from beside him. Tassius cracked open an eye to see Gwen powerfully swimming out a bit past the surf. _Most humans are strong swimmers_ , he remembered from xeno-studies. Livia must not have been paying attention. Probably fiddling with tech or something under her desk.

“Do mom and dad like her?” Livia asked laying down beside him to soak up the warmth of the sand and sun.

Tassius hummed drowsily. “Mom does. I think dad does too, though he’s still a bit wary of humans. I’m not sure how he’d react if I ever wanted to bond with her though.”

He felt Livia shift next to him. “Are you already thinking of the _promissum_? I mean, if you really love her that much dad would probably consent. I know mom would. But isn’t it a bit early for that?”

 Tassius chuffed, his eyes still closed. “I’m talking about months if not years into the future. Right now, all I know is that she’s the only _amicae_ I want, and she’s willing to stay with me on Taetrus while I complete evaluations and accept my new tier. After that…”

 He trailed off and allowed his mind to wander. Having Gwen as a mate was something his heart craved more than it should. Their relationship was still young, yet somehow, he knew within the depths of his soul that Gwen was the woman he was destined to spend the rest of his life with. Though, he wouldn’t be sharing that information with his nosy sister anytime soon.

 “Well, for what it’s worth, I like her.” Livia stated in a voice tinged with drowsiness. “She seems really nice and isn’t put off by our subharmonics, like I’ve heard some humans are. Though, given the way you’ve been purring her _aeternum song_ nonstop, she’s probably used to it by now,” she added with a teasing undertone.

 Tassius ignored her and with a noncommittal hum, burrowed himself deeper into the sands’ warm embrace, hoping Gwen would finish swimming soon and come lay next to him.      

***********

It was well past mid-day when Gwen, Tassius and Livia finally left the beach. To say Gwen had enjoyed the feeling of sand between her toes and the smell of salt water in the air would be an understatement.

Fortunately, Tassius and his sister had been wrapped up in sun bathing - a popular turian pastime it seemed - and didn’t mind staying longer than originally planned. Now, skin still warm and hair wavy from the sea water, Gwen sat on a bench with Livia as they awaited Tassius’s return with the skycar to head back to the Malolin family home.

 Livia, or “Liv” as she’d given Gwen permission to call her, was showing her some complex hacking program she’d been using at the local military base. Most of the technical jargon was over Gwen’s head, but the idea, that you could hack into someone else’s omni tool from a distance, was fascinating.

 Gwen glanced up from her hunched over position at Livia’s side just in time to see the yellow eyes, slate gray plates, and resting bitch face of none other than Susan. He was seated with two other male turians at a small shop that looked like a deli, and clearly had already noticed her. His hand gestures alone reaffirmed his distain, and the disgusted looks on the other two mean girls’ faces seemed to confirm they shared his dislike of humans.

 “Hey, Liv?” Livia turned to look at her.

 “See that older man sitting over there? The one with the red and blue tunic?”

 “Yea?”

 “He’s a giant asshole racist and a member of Facinus. He’s serving on _The Steadfast_ and is a complete jerk to your brother because he’s a biotic and me because I’m a human.”

 Livia narrowed her orange eyes and growled deep in her chest, the sound giving Gwen goose flesh on her arms.

 “Can this hacking program of yours hack into his omni tool and change the user name and all settings to, say, Susan?”

 “Susan?” Livia questioned.

 “Trust me, it’s the worst thing someone could call him. But can you do it?”

 Livia looked around to see if anyone else was watching. There were other people in the area, but they weren’t nearby, and for the most part, they had already taken note of Gwen’s presence and were no longer interested in the pair.

Livia’s mandibles slowly flared out in a mischievous grin. “Just give me five minutes.”

By the time Tassius pulled up with the skycar, Susan had just noticed something was amiss with his omni tool. Gwen and Livia quickly piled into the backseat of the vehicle, shrieking at Tassius to “DRIVE!”

 Confused, but doing as ordered, Tassius drove by the shop on their way back, allowing Gwen a glimpse of an irate looking Susan flailing his hands in the air at his friends, as though he were a wizard casting a spell.

 Dissolving into a fit of laughter next to Livia who was rumbling so hard her body shook, Gwen could feel tears start to form in her eyes, as poor Tassius asked what in the Spirits’ names was so hilarious.

 By the time they pulled up to the Malolin house, both women had settled down enough to tell Tassius what had happened.

 “You should have seen the look on that raciest old pricks’ face!” Gwen recounted fondly.

 “You two didn’t need to do that.” Tassius chided.

 “Pretty sure we did,” Livia told her brother. “Besides, he can fix it. It’ll just take him a couple of hours.” Her mandibles curved up and out in a smirk, and she giggled a bit as she muttered, “Susan.”

 Tassius sighed but didn’t attempt to scold them anymore as he exited the vehicle. Gwen was still snickering to herself as Romulus rounded the back of the house and strode towards them.

 “Tassius, the Gantu has gotten into the garden again. I thought you were going to repair the gate last time you were here?” The irritation in both his larynxes was abundantly clear.

 “Crap! Is he still in the garden?” Tassius asked.

 “He is, and I want him out this instant! That foul beast has already dug up half my _flos_ bulbs!”

 “What’s a Gantu?” Gwen whispered to Livia.

 “They’re a local Taetrun animal. Some people, like my brother, feed them and they become quasi-tame. But, they can be a huge menace when that happens. Once they lose their fear of turians, they do like this one does and tip over garbage cans, defecate near the house, and destroy gardens.”

 “And Tassius started feeding it?” Gwen was a bit dubious. Rule abiding Tassius didn’t strike her as one to risk creating such a nuisance for his family.

“He was younger, probably only twelve when he started feeding the thing. But Gantus are long lived with good memories. Even after Tassius stopped giving it table scraps, it continued to come to the house.”

 Livia snorted to herself. “It’s become my dad’s nemesis. Too bad for dad they’re endangered, and he can’t just shoot it.”

 Curious to meet Romulus’s foe, Gwen followed Tassius and his father around the back of the house to a small area with raised, wooden planters, encircled by a sturdy looking wire fence. The metal gate leading to the garden, however, was bent toward the bottom, allowing access to the green and silver shoots poking out of the russet soil.

 Gwen wasn’t entirely sure _how_ to describe what she was looking at. The creature looked like a cross between a monitor lizard and a nine-banded armadillo; A relatively small, plated head with a thick, long neck led to an almost shell like, armor plated body. It stood tall on four muscular legs that had three sets of vicious looking talons on each foot.

 And it smelled terrible. Like feces and rotten vegetables and something else Gwen couldn’t put a finger on. She noticed that the charcoal colored plates on the thing seemed to glisten in the sun with some type of excretion and she would bet that’s what was causing the god-awful odor.

 “Damn, it smells horrible,” Gwen said with squinted eyes and a hand pinching her nostrils closed.

 “Indeed it does.” Romulus agreed, hands akimbo on his hips in a universal posture of aggravation.

 The Gantu raised its small head, pig-like snout sniffing the air before lumbering over to the fence where the four bystanders watched. It then casually raised its leg, much like a dog, and peed on Romulus’ booted foot.  

 Romulus sputtered in outrage, quickly backing away. With barely contained fury, he rounded on his son. “It’s taunting me! It knows I can’t kill it. Get rid of it and fix that damn gate!”

 The Malolin patriarch all but stomped into the house leaving Gwen and Livia to turn to Tassius. He rumbled in thought as the creature started to make a huffing, grunting noise, not dissimilar to a pig.

 “Livia, go into the house and get something that makes a lot of noise. We can flush it out of the garden and then I can fix the gate.” Tassius said.

 As Livia headed for the door Romulus had just used, Gwen crouched down to get a better look at the animal.

 “How old is it?” She asked, nose still wrinkled up at the smell coming off the creature.

 Tassius had taken to poking around a large nearby bush in search of a stick.

 “Probably about thirty Taetrun years.” He responded. “They can live up to fifty-five years though. And this one’s been coming to the house for nearly twenty.”

“Why did you start feeding it?” Gwen had to ask.

 Tassius paused in his search to look at her. “Well,” he began. “The first night I gave him food was because he looked skinny and alone. I was wiry when I was young, and that coupled with my biotics made me an easy target of ridicule from other children.”

 His mandibles pinched into his face in a frown. “I felt bad for it. Gantus are considered grotesque by most turians due to their terrible odor and appearance.” He gave a humorless laugh. “I was just a freak feeding another unwanted freak.”

 “You’re _not_ a freak Tass.”

 “I know,” he said looking back to her with relaxed mandibles. “But at the time, my biotics had just started to manifest, and it was easy to feel like an outsider. Like an unwanted _other_." He flicked his mandibles out in a turian shrug. "I projected my own feelings onto the Gantu, and so when I’d see it around the house, I’d feed it.”

 “What’s its name?” Gwen asked softly.

 “Its name?” Tassius repeated. “It isn’t a pet, it doesn’t have a name.”

 “But you’ve been feeding it since you were a kid, and it isn’t afraid of you. And you said it’s been coming around for decades now. In all that time you never named it?”

 “No...” Tassius still seemed baffled.

 Gwen turned to look at the Gantu again. It had white, hair-like filaments coming out of its armpit area. The filaments were thick like pasta noodles, though Gwen didn’t have a clue what function they served.

 “I’m gonna call him Spaghetti,” she announced.

 “Spaghetti? What’s Spaghetti?”  Tassius rumbled, stepping over to her.

 “It’s a kind of food from Earth. Looks like those things coming out of his armpits,” Gwen gestured to the creature, which had taken to digging up another planter.

 “You’re naming it after food?” Tassius questioned.

“Yup. That’s your pet Gantu, Spaghetti.” Gwen giggled as Tassius let out an exasperated huff.

 “I found these pots and pans. Maybe if we bang them together we can scare it back out.” Livia announced as she came down the short stone steps from the house.

 Handing Gwen and Tassius each a pair of metal cookware, the trio spent a solid fifteen minutes tromping around the garden and banging the pots and pans together until Spaghetti finally turned tail and scuttled out the open gate into the nearby bush.

 Gantu evicted, Tassius said he needed to fix the gate, but promised to join Gwen for a shower when he had finished. Livia said she needed to head back to the base and so Gwen was abruptly left on her own.

 Deciding to have a snack while she waited for Tassius to finish repairing the gate, Gwen headed to the large fridge in the kitchen. As she dug through the various items, looking for the last of her fruit, she heard the main kitchen door open. Figuring it was Cornelia, or possibly Romulus, Gwen closed the fridge door and turned to greet them.

 The older male turian with ebony plates and golden eyes was not someone she expected to see. _Right, they said there was another couple here_. Giving the man her most genuine smile, Gwen walked up to the low counter.

 “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met yet. My name’s Gwen Kedar, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Gwen gave him the customary polite bow.

 When the newcomer didn’t immediately answer, Gwen took a closer look at him. His mandibles were pinched tightly to his face, his eyes were wide, and his whole body was quivering. _Is he actually afraid of me?_ Gwen wondered.

 It was then she noticed that the man was missing his entire left arm. It looked like it had been severed at the shoulder, and the empty sleeve of his jacket had been tied up in a knot so as not to get in the way. Gwen tried not to frown as she started to piece together his strange reaction.

 “I, I...” The man struggled to collect himself, and stomp down on his keening subvocals. “I haven’t seen a human since Shanxi.”

 Oh. **OH**.

 Gwen laid her palms flat against the counter top, and slowly met the turians’ frightened gaze. What could she even say? She’d learned about PTSD of course but had never seen anyone actively in its throws. How different were turians from humans in that regard anyway?

 “I’m sorry.” It was all she could think to say.

 The man blinked at her.

 “I’m sorry for what happened during the Firs – The Relay 314 Incident. I wasn’t even born when it happened,” Gwen found herself telling him.

 “From what I know, the conflict was short, but brutal. And… I’m sorry.” She looked to him again and saw his mandibles had relaxed a fraction.

“I’m sorry too.” He said quietly, before slowly turning and walking out the door with what must have been an immense level of control. Every part of his body had looked ready to bolt.  _Poor guy_. Gwen thought sadly.

 Appetite gone, she stood staring at her hands in the empty kitchen, wondering if a human had ripped off the turian guests’ arm. Perhaps the former turian soldier had committed equally terrible atrocities against her own people.

 The kitchen door opened again, and Cornelia gracefully entered dressed in a dusk colored set of robes. Seeing Gwen, she strode over and rested her hand next to Gwen’s on the countertop.

 “I heard you met Mr. Lucan,” she said softly.

 “Yea,” Gwen said with a sigh. “Sometimes I forget the First Contact War wasn’t that long ago. There’s still people around who fought in it.”

 Cornelia gave her a gentle purr. “It isn’t your fault he reacted the way he did. He’s quite ashamed of his behavior and wanted me to apologize for him. He may be physically recovered from what happened, but his mental health is still a work in progress.”

 Gwen nodded slowly. “I didn’t mean to trigger him. I didn’t even see he was missing an arm at first.”

“Our species are still trying to mend the wounds of First Contact. Though it’s happening faster than I would have imagined. You and Tassius are proof of that, as are human/turian Chiers, and the _Normandy_.” Cornelia’s mandibles pulled out in an easy, motherly smile.

 “Mr. Lucan will be alright. He and his mate are checking out this evening, anyways, and he does not wish you any ill will. Don’t dwell on what is beyond your control.” She gently reached out and gave Gwen’s shoulder a companionable squeeze.

 Gwen returned her smile, more freely this time. “Thanks Cornelia,” she said.

 Cornelia nodded and took a step back before adding, “I look forward to meeting your parents, Gwen.”

 “They… can be a handful. But, they’ll be on their best behavior,” she added, not wanting to make Cornelia think her mom and dad were going to be obnoxious.

 “I’m sure they’re lovely people.”

 “They are,” Gwen reassured. “I think I’m going to go watch Tassius fix the gate for a while. Maybe see if the Gantu is living in that bush next to the house.”

 “If it is, try to get rid of it. My mate detests that thing.” Cornelia said matter of factly.

 Biting the inside of her cheek so as not to laugh, Gwen headed out the back door with a grin. There was nothing quite like a shirtless Tassius to lift her mood anyway, and with luck, she’d be in fine spirits by the time her family arrived tomorrow evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love describing native wildlife and had way too much fun with the Gantu. Hopefully people reading this will find the Gantu amusing as well. As always, feel free to drop by on Tumblr, @wafflesrock16, and say hello =)


	17. Negotiations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other
> 
> Domine – A polite version of “Sir” used for people outside the military. Generally used for elders. 
> 
> Gantu – An armored, pungent creature, native to Taetrus which fills a similar ecological niche to that of the American Opossum

Tassius was feeling exhilarated when he returned home early that evening. He had gone and checked in with the Taetrun Office of Military Affairs and completed all the necessary documents needed to advance his citizenship tier. Despite the receptionist’s apparent inability to remember his name, and her constant use of the phrase “the biotic” to identify him, Tassius considered his first day of training a wonderful success.

He’d been given a rigorous tactical exam and had scored extremely well. The proctor had even commented that it was the highest score she’d seen in her three years administering this test.

Ego inflated, there was a definite swagger to his gait as he walked through the front door of his childhood home. This confidence quickly evaporated, however, when his _amicae_ all but ambushed him at the door and herded him upstairs, demanding he put on civilian clothing to meet her parents.

Gwen herself looked radiant as a new born star in a short, powder blue dress with yellow accents that both hugged her slim waist and still managed to flow loosely around her thighs. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a style she had referred to as a “messy bun” and she had silver slippers on her feet.

 Tassius would have liked to run his bare hand up her dress and celebrate his successful first day of training between the sheets, so to speak, but Gwen was a flurry of excitement and nerves. Once in his room, she tore through his closet before selecting an outfit for him and requesting –  in a tone that made it clear it was an order –  that he put on the chosen clothing.

Her nervous energy was rubbing off on him, and his subvocals buzzed anxiously. He hoped he made a good first impression with her mother and father. He’d never had the occasion nor reason to meet the parents of a bedmate before. His few one-night stands had amounted to little more than stress release.

But, from what Gwen had told him, meeting an _amicae’s_ family was extremely important in human culture. And he’d be damned if he messed this up. He would dress how Gwen instructed, and try his best to gain her parents approval.

Once outfitted in a pale-yellow tunic with slate gray pants and a jacket with matching yellow accents, Tassius turned to present himself to Gwen for inspection.

She had seemed to calm down once he’d changed out of his armor and walked over to give him a hug.

“You look so handsome,” she informed him.

Tassius purred, leaning down to brush a mandible against the top of her head. “As long as you think so,” he replied.

Gwen pulled back slightly with a mischievous smile. “You know, your mom and I went on a walk around the neighborhood while you were out. Your one neighbor, Ms. Agrippa, said you were considered extremely handsome by turian standards. Pretty sure she used the term “exotic” to describe your plate color.”

Tassius flicked out a mandible in good humor. Ms. Agrippa had not so secretly tried to set Tassius up with her daughter, and when that hadn’t worked out, her son. Tassius hadn’t felt a connection with either, and never pursued anything other than friendship.

“Well, I suppose russet colored plates _are_ considered attractive.” He conceded. “But I’m not sure if I’d describe myself as “exotic” or exceptionally handsome. The biotics tend to be a major turn off anyway.” He wasn’t trying to be self-deprecating, just stating a fact, but the look in Gwen’s eyes told him she didn’t agree with his statement about biotics at all.

“Your biotics are ridiculously hot,” she informed him. “They add to how exotically handsome you are.”

 He was tempted to proposition her, show her how stunningly beautiful and exotic he found _her_ , in the most primal way possible, but at that moment, Gwen’s omni tool chimed and she pulled away from him to check her new message.

“It’s my mom,” she told him. “She says she and my dad are about to pull up to the house.”

Gwen looked to him with an excited smile. “Come on!” She grabbed his hand and tugged him back downstairs and out the front door.  

They stepped out onto the raised dais surrounding the house just as an older male human with golden hair, streaked with silver at the temples, got out of a skycar.

“Hey dad!” Gwen called to him, hopping down the steps. Her father turned his ice blue eyes on his daughter, and a smile nearly split his face as he hugged Gwen tightly.

“Hi baby!” A similarly aged female human with light brown hair and brown eyes strode toward Gwen to give her a hug as well.

As he walked down the steps, Tassius wondered if he should also hug Gwen’s parents. But, before he could make up his mind, Gwen had turned around and with a gentle hand was presenting him to her family.

While Mr. Kedar was a good deal taller than his daughter, Tassius still towered above him. Standing back at a respectable distance that wouldn’t force Gwen’s father to crane his neck, Tassius extended his arm in the customary human greeting.

“Dad, this is Tassius. Tassius, this is my dad, Sergei.”  

Sergei Kedar gave Tassius a firm handshake, all the while fixing him with a stare that Tassius felt ought to be intimidating, but from an unarmed human a foot shorter than him really was not.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, _domine_.” Tassius said, bowing.

Gwen’s father creased his brow and looked puzzled. “It’s Sergei,” he reiterated.

“So nice to meet you Tassius,” Gwen’s mother said, cutting in front of Sergei to shake Tassius’s hand as well. “I don’t often see turians in civilian clothes. These colors really enhance what beautiful red plates you have. Do you have to dye them that color?”

“Okay, mom, no.”

“What? I was just asking.” Gwen’s mother looked disappointed.

“Tassius, this is my mom, Terra.”

“It is an honor to meet you both,” Tassius replied with another polite bow. “And no, Terra, I don’t artificially color my plates. This is their natural pigmentation.”

Sergei leaned off to Tassius’ left to look at something behind him. Tassius turned as his mother walked out to greet Gwen’s family.

“Mr. and Mrs. Kedar. It is a pleasure to welcome you to my home,” his mother stated, also bowing.

“Ah, Ms. Malolin. Thank you so much for getting us a room on such short notice.” Sergei surprised Tassius by bowing back to his mother.

“You may call me Cornelia. And I hope you find the accommodations to your liking. We don’t usually have many human guests.” She hummed. “I acquired more levo food from the asari run market in town. I hope it is good.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Terra stated. “And thank you so much for going through the trouble to house us for our stay.” She smiled brightly at his mother. “It’s nice to see our daughter is staying with such caring people.”

His mother made a pleased rumble at the complement, though Tassius wasn’t sure if the humans could hear it. Regardless, things seemed to be going well so far as his mother ushered her new guests inside.

“Your room will be the third door upstairs,” she stated to the Kedars. As Gwen’s parents looked around, taking in the front entry, his father appeared from the kitchen.

“You must be Gwen’s parents. Hello and welcome to Vallum.” His father sounded more stiff than usual, and Tassius wondered if he had been against Gwen’s parents staying with them. In truth, he had asked his mother and not mentioned it to his father, figuring she would tell him. Now, he considered if he should have asked his father personally if his _amicae’s_ family could stay.

Sergei and Terra immediately picked up on his father’s colder greeting and visibly stood straighter, apparently oblivious to the warning subharmonics his mother shot in her mate’s direction.

Sergei crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Mr. Malolin, I presume?”

Romulus Malolin was by no means an expert on human body language. But, in many ways, humans were quite similar to their asari cousins. His father recognized the defensive posture and combined with the irritated subvocals coming from his mate and now Tassius, Romulus tried again.

“I hope you will be able to make yourselves comfortable,” he said in a more relaxed tone, though his posture remained rigid. “Please, do not hesitate to let myself or my mate know if you need anything.” Without bowing, he turned and walked back into the kitchen.

Both Sergei and Terra turned to look at their daughter. Some unspoken conversation must have taken place, as Gwen answered an unasked question.

“I don’t know. He’s normally a really nice guy.”

“My mate did not mean to come off as rude,” his mother stated diplomatically. “I apologize on his behalf, he does not interact with humans often.”

Thankfully, Sergei uncrossed his arms with a nod. “Well, my wife and I are going to unpack. Will you and your family be joining us for dinner?” He turned to fix his piercing blue eyes on Tassius.

“Yes. It would be our pleasure,” Tassius bowed to him again, annoyed his father had made his _amicae’s_ family feel uncomfortable.

“That’s settled then,” Terra said. “Gwen, come upstairs with me, your father and I brought you some things from home.”

Gwen flashed Tassius a smile and followed her parents. As the humans walked to their room, Tassius turned to his mother.

 _What was his problem?_ He asked her in his subvocals.

His mother made an irritated, regretful vocal before replying in her main voice, “he is afraid we will become known as a place for humans to stay, and that this may cost us other guests.”

Tassius didn’t bother to hide his disgust. “He treats my _amicae’s_ parents like invaders because he’s worried you may lose a few credits?”

Before his mother could respond, Tassius had strode through the kitchen door determined to set his father right before dinner.

“Father.” He greeted the older man, forcing himself to stay calm. “I do hope you can conduct yourself more civilly in front of Gwen’s parents. We will be eating dinner with them in an hour and I want them to approve of me.”

His father sighed as he turned to face him. “I am sorry, Tassius. Gwen is a good person, and I do like her, truly. But having one human stay here has already caused some talk. Having an entire family of humans stay here… I just don’t want us to lose business for what may be a passing fancy of yours.”

Before his raging subvocals could turn into speech, his mother appeared next to him and her subharmonics brokered no argument.

_How dare you act this way in front of our guests!_

“Romulus Malolin, there is no excuse for rude behavior to company whom have been nothing but polite!” She growled. “Whatever your petty reasons are for the way you’re acting, drop them this instant! I will not have you tarnish our sons’ reputation to his _amicae’s_ parents because you fear financial loss! A loss which has not happened, I might add.”

“Gwen is _not_ a passing fancy.” Tassius seethed. “I’m serious about her, and if you won’t behave appropriately to her family, then I will move out as soon as I’m able and cease all communication with you.”

The threat surprised even Tassius himself. But he absolutely would not tolerate his own father making Gwen and her family feel unwelcome. Especially since Gwen had been nothing but respectful and polite to both his parents.

Romulus looked taken aback, both at his wife’s anger and his son’s threats. “I didn’t – ” he began.

“You won’t,” his mother cut in, “make our human guests feel unwelcome. You agreed they could stay with us. They may well become your own family one day. You _will_ attend dinner this evening, you _will_ be polite, and you _won’t_ disgrace your son or our family name with needless racism.”

His father bowed his head and keened softly in shame. “I will not embarrass us.” He said quietly.

“See that you don’t!” His mother hissed before exiting the room in a whirl of green robes.

Tassius allowed himself one more irate growl before exiting the kitchen after his mother. He decided to check in on Gwen and her parents. Maybe assuage any concerns they might have about being welcome in his family’s home.

As he approached their room, he could hear a distinctive conversation taking place.

“ – don’t want us here we can find somewhere else to stay. There’s at least one asari run hotel in Vallum.”

“I don’t know what was wrong with Romulus, but he’s been nothing but nice to me since I got here.”

“Gwen, are you sure this is what you want? If you stay here, you’ll always be the outsider. This is a turian colony, not the Citadel. You’ll _always_ be regarded with suspicion and veiled animosity, like what we just saw from his father.”

“Is he worth it, Gwen? Is this worth it?” Terra Kedar had a distinct voice, different from that of her husband or child. And despite knowing it was wrong to listen in on this private conversation, Tassius couldn’t tear himself away.

“Yea mom, he is worth it. I know turians don’t show it the same way we do, but he’s serious about me. And if we’re being totally honest, I’m serious about him. His dad’s acting weird for some reason, but his entire family has been incredibly open and welcoming, and the neighbors I’ve met have been good people too. I actually like it here, and even if I didn’t, he’s worth it.”

Tassius slowly backed away from the door to head for his own room. _I’m worth it_ , he thought to himself.

************

The skycar sped by the pristine steel and quartz buildings of the Capital, passing smaller limestone sided shops and cafes along the way to the Taetrun military offices. Gwen watched the city blaze by her window as she sat in companionable silence next to her father, who was reviewing some reports.

Dinner the night before had gone better than expected. Whatever had been bothering Romulus had apparently sorted itself out and both sets of parents had gotten along splendidly, discussing life in Vallum, the weapons industry on Earth, and family.

Her father had even managed to keep his mouth shut when Cornelia revealed she was originally from Invictus. Though this was likely due to the murderous stare her mother had shot him.

There had been one rough patch when her mom had asked Tassius about his “pet diarrhea monster,” to which Romulus had made an irritated buzzing sound before Cornelia explained that the Gantu wasn’t technically a pet, but a wild animal.

Gwen was still kicking herself for describing the creature to her family like that and not thinking her mom would bring it up. _At least they all moved past it, even if Tassius did look like he wanted to die of embarrassment._ She thought.

“So, you said this Chief Commander Cassius was nice? Do you think he’ll be a hard ass, or more likely to play ball and be reasonable?” Her father asked.

Focusing back on the task at hand, Gwen looked to her father’s expectant face. “He was actually extremely amicable,” she said. “But, we were meeting strictly on a social basis. He didn’t rise through the ranks of the Hierarchy by being a pushover. And if Tassius, his protégé, is anything to go by, then he’s going to be all business and not cut us any slack just because of my relationship with Tass.”

“Tass, huh?” Her father said with an amused smirk.

“Whatever, dad. Point is, Commander Cassius seems like he’s reasonable, but he’s not some inexperienced turian solider with absolutely no grasp of business or finance. The Hierarchy already accepted our contract, but as far as the requisition goes, don’t think he’ll just agree to cover all shipping and handling costs. We’re going to have to make some concessions.”

Her father nodded, giving her a proud smile. “You’re good at this Gwen. Don’t lose that fire and ambition.”

Outside the window, the city began to fall back, and more open, rocky land replaced the gleaming buildings. Their meeting was to take place at the Taetrun Military Depot. A chance for Gwen and her father to inspect the storehouse, and an opportunity for the Hierarchy to “flex its muscles” according to her father.

To say the Depot was a large complex would be an understatement. The place boarded on sprawling, with multiple, gigantic, cube shaped buildings in a circular, almost maze-like formation and a smaller Headquarters office in the middle. _Tassius did say that this place housed the bulk of the Hierarchy’s armor and munitions,_ Gwen thought as she took in her surroundings.

The buildings themselves were not what someone - particularly humans -would call beautiful. They were imposing steel and reinforced metal with no embellishment or fine detail. They were as austere as the soldiers who guarded their doors. They served a purpose and had no need for elegance when that purpose was war.

Gwen’s father walked stiffly as they were escorted by two guards in heavy armor through the defensive wall of the outer buildings toward the Headquarters. Ironically enough, Gwen sensed she was making the guard with black plates uneasy. He had red eyes just like Tassius and the same colony markings, and she was probably focusing on that fact more blatantly then she thought.

Purposely averting her eyes, Gwen mentally focused herself on the strange building before her. The main office was markedly different from the other structures Gwen had seen thus far. Its entire shape was ovular and resembled a layered dome sat atop a raised platform. Walking past the short, cement and steel wall that gradually opened into a fortified courtyard, Gwen noted that the two large pillars framing the doorway to the Headquarters served as buttresses to support the main bulk of the flint grey building. _Wonder if that has any symbolism_ , she thought.

She didn’t have much time to consider the architecture, however, as she and her father were promptly led to Chief Commander Cassius’s office. Unlike human meetings, where minor pleasantries and perhaps drinks were exchanged before getting down to business, the Chief Commander immediately began to discuss shipping costs once the introductions were over.

“It is just good business,” Commander Cassius was saying, after suggesting Hahne-Kedar provide free shipping. “After all, the grand total the Hierarchy has agreed to pay for this armor of yours is rather extreme.”

Sergei Kedar had a legendary poker face and had become adept at reading the tells of different species over the years. Gwen could tell by the subtle flare of his nostrils that he didn’t agree with the Commander’s proposition, and like Gwen, likely picked up on the odd subvocal the older turian was making.

Her father cocked his head slightly. “In the interests of transparency, Commander, I feel obligated to inform you that I have had an auditory implant for quite some time now and can both hear and understand your subvocals.”

The Commander looked surprised for a millisecond before clamping his mandibles back to his face. Gwen’s father leaned forward a bit in his chair. “That is why I know you don’t really believe your last statement. If you want good business, Hahne-Kedar will supply ¼ of all shipping costs, and ¼ of the handling fees.”

The Commander grunted, leaning back into the ample blue cushions on his sofa. “That hardly seems a fair trade.”

Turning his azure eyes to Gwen the Commander stated, “you have been relatively quiet Ms. Kedar. Do you share your father’s opinion on this deal?”

Gwen easily turned her head toward the Commander. _You went over this with dad. He’s trying to play you off each other._

“I agree, for the most part.” She said coolly.

“For the most part?”

Gwen hummed softly. “I wonder if there were a way to address future contract possibilities within the current negotiation,” she said. “Perhaps Hahne-Kedar Armory would agree to cover all of the shipping costs and ½ the handling fees in exchange for preference on upcoming armor and weapons requisitions.”

The Commander made a curious thrumming sound. “What you are suggesting would require a top level Hahne-Kedar employee to remain on planet to keep up with inventory and to evaluate all pressing requisition needs to see if your armory could keep up with the demand.”

“Which can be easily arranged,” her father stated. “If the proposal my daughter just outlined works for the Hierarchy, then our company has no issue with one of our highest-level company executives staying in Vallum to oversee Silverback Armor integration and future contracts.”

“Who is it exactly that would stay?” The Commander queried.

“I would,” Gwen said. “I’m poised to become co-owner with my father and uncle in a few years, and I’ve been in training to assume a greater leadership role with the company since I turned eighteen. If, of course, that is agreeable to you?”

The Commander interlaced his taloned fingers, regarding Gwen severely. She didn’t flinch. Slowly, the older turian nodded.

“If you agree to stay in Vallum, Ms. Kedar, then we shall agree to preferential treatment of Hahne-Kedar Armory in our upcoming requisitions. Hahne-Kedar will also pay the full costs of shipping the armor to Taetrus as well as ½ the handling fees.”

“Agreed,” her father replied.

As the group stood up and the Commander’s Aid was summoned to bring in the necessary paperwork, Gwen’s father shot her another proud smile.

By the time all was said and done, Gwen was tired and hungry, but feeling elated. She even threw the black plated guard a grin as they left the Depot before saying, “I think we’re going to be seeing more of each other.”

“Don’t tease the poor man,” Gwen’s father chided as their car took off.

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Please, I meant in a professional sense. I probably reek of Tassius anyway.”

“What?” Her father furrowed his brow.

“Never mind, turian thing.” Gwen brushed off his curious look.

“You’re sure this is what you want, Gwen?” Her father was regarding her with a serious expression again.

“Yes, dad. You met Tassius. You met his family. You’ve seen where I’ll be staying. I _want_ this, dad. I want to stay here. Acting as the liaison between Hahne-Kedar and the Hierarchy is going to be a fantastic opportunity. I promise.”

Her father nodded. “It will be a phenomenal opportunity to grow the company and learn. And, Tassius does seem like a good man. Even if his father has a pole up his ass.”

“Dad!”

Her father put out his hands in a pacifying gesture. “If you change your mind, either about living with his family or staying on Taetrus in general, just tell me. We’ll figure something out.”

“Thanks dad,” Gwen said sinking back into her chair.

 _Big changes are coming_ , she thought with a dreamy smile as the skycar sped back toward Vallum and Tassius.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Romulus actually does like Gwen, but when it comes to racism, you don't get to privately be an ally and publicly an opponent. He needed to realize that. As always, feel free to stop by on Tumblr and say hello, @wafflesrock16


	18. One Year Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amicae – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other
> 
> Promissum – The turian version of an engagement or proposal, refers more to the ritual of bringing another person into the clan. Has greatly fallen out of use in turian modern culture. 
> 
> Oserun – A ceremony that recognizes the promotion of turians to a new citizenship tier. It is a very formal, public event.

The sky on Taetrus was never the clear, calm blue of Earth. Its color was closer to a brownish purple, without the white, fluffy clouds. Still though, on still days, like today, there was a certain beauty to the atmosphere that left a small smile on Gwen’s lips as she sipped her asari tea.

The café she had visited with Tassius her first day on Taetrus had become her favorite lunch destination. Often, if the place wasn’t too busy, she’d stay and work remotely from the table closest to the picture window in the back.

The owners were an asari/turian couple. The asari, an individual named Kamala, had been especially kind to Gwen. Kamala had gone out of their way to introduce themselves once Gwen had returned for the third day in a row. The petite, slightly plump asari matron had explained to Gwen that they and their wife, Fulvia, had been operating the dextro/levo café for over thirty-five years.

Gwen had taken to Kamala instantly. They weren’t pretentious, as some asari tended to be, and they were always open to discussing turian culture from an outsider’s perspective, or else having Gwen sample new levo pastries before they were placed up for sale.

Gwen had felt a bit embarrassed when she’d initially referred to Kamala with female pronouns, only to have the lavender skinned asari inform her that some asari, like themselves, did not adhere to gender constructs, and that Gwen was to refer to them as they/them. A quick apology and easy smile had remedied the misunderstanding and Gwen had even found herself explaining this concept to other customers.

Presently, seated at the table she lovingly referred to as her “second office,” Gwen opened up her portable data kiosk and began to sieve through her mail. Her assistant had forwarded her all the contract information from Hierarchy command regarding a new contract for pistols. Gwen sent the documents, and some follow up questions, over to both Plalio and the Hahne-Kedar design team headquartered in Honolulu.

“You’re going to get permanent creases in your forehead if you keep staring at your screen like that,” Kamala commented from where they were dusting a shelf off to Gwen’s right.

Gwen eased back in her chair. “Stuff’s gotta get done. New contract negotiation is always the most stressful.” Gwen gingerly grabbed her mug of tea, taking a long, soothing drink.

“Still though, every time I see you you’re hunched over a data pad or your omni tool. If you’re not careful, you’re going to turn into that mate of yours.” Kamala grinned.

“Tassius and I aren’t mates. We’re not even engaged yet,” Gwen sighed.

The topic of marriage had come up several times recently. They had been together over a year, and as far as both were concerned, they were “it” for each other. Gwen knew she’d never meet another man as sweet, tender, focused, and motivated as Tassius. And she didn’t want to.

“Well, you didn’t hear it from me, but the “not engaged” part might be changing soon.” Kamala sing-songed as they walked back toward the counter.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You don’t get to just drop that bomb-shell and not answer a few questions.” Gwen scowled at the asari’s back as she followed them over to the check-out counter.

“Wellllll, Fulvia **_may_** have told me that she overheard Tassius speaking with Captain Vallokius about human marriage traditions.”

Gwen let out a frustrated sigh. “That doesn’t mean anything though. We’ve talked about getting engaged, but that doesn’t mean it’s – ”

“ – and Tassius told the Captain he was going to propose when you two went on vacation.”

Gwen’s eyes bulged. She and Tassius were headed to Earth in a week to visit her family in Hawaii. _No… Not next week,_ she thought. But then again, if she considered it, Tassius had been asking her some weird questions lately. About the symbolism of sunrise versus sunset, why humans liked diamonds, why humans liked the color white so much in hospitals and weddings, and other bizarre topics that had seemingly sprung up out of nowhere.

“Are you sure Fulvia heard that? Exactly that?” Gwen leaned forward on the counter staring intently at her friend.

Kamala grinned at her. “Exactly. That.”

Gwen leaned back on her heel as though she’d been pushed.

“I better get a wedding invitation,” Kamala went on. “Human weddings are similar to asari bonding ceremonies; a big party with family, food and alcohol. No way I’m missing out on a Kedar funded wedding!”

Gwen was still trying to come to terms with the fact that her boyfriend was possibly planning to propose to her in a week. She hadn’t been this speechless since she’d learned of Commander Shepard’s death ten months ago above Alchera.

“Does he have a ring? How do turians propose?”

“I have no idea about the ring thing,” Kamala shrugged as they started to stack delicate looking turian style glasses on a shelf. “Turians like to mark their mates with a bite mark on this area of the neck.” Kamala gestured to where their neck and shoulder met.

Gwen noted that Kamala didn’t have one of these bite marks, and seeing her perplexed expression, Kamala gave her a gentle smile. “The vast majority of asari who bond with turians don’t do bond marks. We outlive our mates by centuries sometimes and will generally bond or marry multiple times. It would be unfair to a new mate to always be reminded of our past loves, and unfair to the memory of our deceased partner to have their bite mark later removed through medical treatments.”  Kamala shrugged. “Easier to just not do it.”

 Gwen supposed that made sense. But seeing as humans and turians had equal life expectancies, should she let Tassius mark her? The more she thought about it, the more she decided she liked the idea of having a permanent reminder of Tassius’s devotion on her skin. _I’d get to mark him too,_ she reminded herself _,_ and smiled at the prospect.

“Turian bonding ceremonies themselves are pretty quiet affairs.” Kamala went on, continuing to stack glassware. “If both parties agree to bond, then the party with the higher-ranking family requests permission to bring a new mate into the clan. If the family approves the match, then the couple signs the necessary paperwork and there is a formal family dinner with traditional food. Nothing as exciting and fun as asari and human ceremonies.”

Kamala turned and pointed a finger towards Gwen. “You tell that man of yours that you want a human style wedding celebration. And then invite me and Fulvia. We’d love to see you as a beaming bride. We’ll even make you a dextro/levo wedding cake.”

Gwen shook her head softly as she returned to her table. Try as she might though, all she managed to accomplish in the following hours was to stare at her computer screen. Finally giving up, she messaged her assistant to let him know she wouldn’t be returning to the Military Depot today and was headed home a bit early.

Despite business having picked up, Kamala shot Gwen a large, toothy grin and a wink before turning back to the register as Gwen left to hail a skycar.

The Malolin home was about seven miles removed from the Capital, and Gwen typically used the car ride from the café back to the house to unwind. This evening however, as the sky faded to pale pink, Gwen’s mind was racing. Unsure who to speak with, since she obviously couldn’t talk to Tassius, she pulled up her omni tool and called Scarlet.

Scarlet Jones was Gwen’s closest friend and confident. The two women had met on their college dance team over six years ago and had been inseparable ever since. But, whereas Gwen had gone on to enter the family business, Scarlet was quickly becoming a fashion icon. She’d even legally changed her last name to “Jane,” and had launched her first line of casual apparel last year.

As Scarlet’s lovely, smiling face filled the holo screen, Gwen could already feel herself breathing easier.

“Gwen! What’s going on lady?” Scarlet said, eyes ever bright and full of mischief.

“Scarlet! Please tell me you have a minute to talk, because I need some serious advice right now.” Gwen said.

“If it’s about modeling in my Citadel show next month, then I advise you yes, totally do it. Your face and figure are far too fine to have left the industry completely.” Scarlet winked at Gwen.

“Letty, I’m serious! I just kinda found out that Tassius might be proposing to me next week!”

The screech that filled the air in the skycar was one of pure glee and excitement. “Oh my god! Gwen! That’s so amazing! How’d you find out? You’re absolutely saying yes, right?”

“I mean obviously I’d say yes,” Gwen responded without hesitation. “But the problem is, I don’t think he’s going to do a human style proposal and I have no idea what to expect. Is he just going to casually ask me?”

Scarlet was still caught up in the news of possible nuptials. “I’m designing your dress! I dibs it! Do turians wear white at their weddings? I can totally use some other colors! But lace for sure, that’s without question.”

“But what if he doesn’t want a human wedding ceremony?” Gwen asked with a small frown. “Turians apparently just do an intimate family dinner to celebrate.”

“Ummm, what? No. Gwen, you moved to Taetrus for him, I sincerely doubt Tassius is going to begrudge you a human style wedding if that’s what you want. You can mix traditions, have the quiet family dinner and then the fancy ceremony and party.” Scarlet said this with such certainty in her tone, that Gwen found that she, too, believed that Tassius would go along with a human wedding ceremony if that was what she wanted.

Before Gwen knew it, she was grinning ear to ear as she and her friend discussed possible venues and dress styles. By the time the skycar reached the Malolin home, Gwen was practically glowing. As she said goodbye to Scarlet and walked inside the house, she fervently hoped that Kamala was right, and that she’d be returning to Taetrus in a few weeks engaged.

*********

The shuttle descended into what Tassius could only describe as a paradise. Beautiful, blue ocean waters met a verdant, green forest which rose up the slopes of an ancient volcano. Clouds and mist swirled above the canopy of trees, while closer to the shore lay white sand beaches and the gleaming skyscrapers of Honolulu.

 _Spirits, no wonder Gwen speaks so fondly of her home_ , Tassius thought. He had planned to write some poems during their stay, but the view from the ship alone already had his creative juices flowing, and his mind was churning with budding verses and prose to describe the place before him.

“Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii.” A small, dark skinned human woman held out a band of brightly colored yellow and white flowers. Tassius took it from her and admired it, unsure what to do.

“It’s a lei, Tass. You wear it like a necklace.” Gwen informed him as she put her own flower “lei” around her neck.

Carefully maneuvering the blooms over his fringe and inside his cowl, Tassius didn’t miss how happy the woman who had greeted him looked. “Thank you for traveling with us! Enjoy your stay in the rainbow state!”

Gwen grabbed Tassius’s hand before he could ask about the rainbow comment and led him out of the space port. He noticed there were numerous Counsel races here. Though mostly asari, there were also more than a few salarians and turians and even an elcor.

“My parents want to do a family dinner, my brothers are both here for a few days too,” Gwen said. “And just a heads up, if you thought my mom asked some embarrassing questions, my brothers are way, WAY worse.”

Tassius hummed, remembering how Gwen’s mother had asked him how he “wiped himself with those long talons.” Mentally steeling himself, he sat next to Gwen in the expensive skycar as she took manual control.

“Do your brothers approve of us?” He asked as the vehicle lifted off. He’d never met the twins in person, though he had spoken with Teddy briefly on a vid chat once. He had seemed pleasant enough, if not overly curious about Tassius’s colony markings and whether or not they hurt to get done.

“I think so? They know you make me happy, so I don’t know why they wouldn’t like you.” Gwen said, eyes fixed ahead. “Teddy is probably going to want to touch and admire your teeth by the way. He already asked me if you’d let him.”

“My teeth?”

“Yea, he’s in dental school. He has a weird fascination with teeth. Since turian teeth are almost like fangs I’m sure he’ll be dying to look inside your mouth. Feel free to tell him no.”

Tassius rumbled to himself in thought as the skycar leveled out and began to head for an extremely large home that looked like it was made entirely of windows and was built directly into the mountainside. There were similar houses not too far off, but this one was by far the biggest and most extravagantly landscaped.

Brightly colored flowers swooped around the home in neatly arranged chaos. Trees of all shapes and sizes boarded the vibrant garden and provided shade for a decently sized pond with large, white flowers blooming from atop floating green platforms. He mentally noted he’d need to take pictures of the garden to show his father and mother. Perhaps his father could get some new ideas about what to do with the back garden at their house.

As the skycar pulled into the mammoth garage, Tassius couldn’t help but gawk at the array of vintage and luxury class vehicles parked inside. _Spirits, there must be close to three million credits worth of skycars in here!_ He thought. His father’s lower mandible would be on the floor if could see this collection.

As he and Gwen exited the vehicle, Terra Kedar appeared in a flowing, red and blue dress.

“Gwen! Oh, I’ve missed you so much!” Terra hugged her daughter tightly, rocking back and forth on her feet.

“And Tassius! Those are some very revealing pants you’re wearing. I’m so glad to see you relaxing.”

Before he could inform her that while there were cut out portions in his pants to accommodate his hip spurs, that this style of pant was definitely _not_ considered revealing, she had caught him up in a tight embrace.

Tassius froze, before slowly returning the gesture, albeit not as roughly. Terra had hugged him once before, on her last visit to Taetrus. Gwen had informed him that this was a very good sign that her mother liked him, and so he returned the hug, despite not typically being one to give such physical displays of affection apart from Gwen.

His _amicae_ tried and ultimately failed to hide her smirk as the group headed inside the house. Terra was describing the types of food she’d purchased for him, but Tassius was too distracted by the opulence of the entryway to listen.

Marble floors, and a crystal and diamond chandelier composed the entrance, along with some ornately carved wooden furniture and large, glass mirrors, framed in lapis lazuli and aquamarine. Everywhere he turned were items and furniture worth more than his entire years’ salary. Slightly overwhelmed, he felt Gwen grip his hand and give him a squeeze, pulling him back to the conversation.

“Dinner is going to be in an hour, I figured we’d have wine and hors d'œuvres before settling into our meal,” Terra was saying.

“Sounds good mom,” Gwen replied. “I’m going to take Tassius up to our room so we can change and unpack.”

Tassius followed Gwen up a curved, wooden staircase and up to the third floor of the house, through a white wooden door and into a large, lavishly furnished room with a massive window overlooking the ocean, and holo pictures of whom he assumed were friends and family crowding for space on the walls.

“This is my old room,” Gwen said as she walked over the carpeted floor to a large, dark wood dresser and began to rifle through the clothing inside. “Make yourself at home Tass. Maybe change into another pair of your sexy pants.” Gwen smirked at him over her shoulder.

Tassius huffed. “I told you, in turian culture this style – “

“— isn't considered revealing, yes yes. But they are sexy.”

Sensing he wouldn’t win this conversation, Tassius decided to change clothes. He had a more formal pair of pants without the hip cut-outs and decided to put these on, and hopefully avoid any more comments about his wardrobe.

He’d just finished changing when there was a knock on the door. Gwen glanced over to him from her seat in front of a large, gilded mirror, where she was busily braiding her hair. Seeing him dressed, she called out, “come in!”

One of her brothers poked his head through the open door. Tassius thought this must be Remy, the other twin, given that he had hair on his face while Teddy did not. _A beard_ , he remembered Gwen had called the facial hair on male humans.

“Hey Gwenny! And Tassius! Damn! You’re even bigger than I expected,” Remy said as he walked over to them.

“How tall are you? Like, seven feet? Are you average height for a turian?”

“Leave him alone Remy, you can find those answers on the extranet,” Gwen stated as she walked over to give her brother a hug.

Tassius rumbled a hello and extended his hand in the typical human greeting. Remy gave his hand a firm shake, but instead of letting go, turned Tassius’s larger hand over in his own to admire his talons.

“Do you have to file these? How sharp are they otherwise?”

“Remy, stop being so annoying,” Gwen huffed.

Remy let Tassius’s hand go and Tassius was not ashamed to say that he moved to hide behind Gwen in an effort to avoid more prodding.

“Sorry,” Remy said, looking genuinely apologetic.

“It’s all right,” Tassius reassured. “Turians are not very tactile, unlike humans. All the physical contact from people other than Gwen is… new to me.”

A devious smile spread across Remy’s face as he turned to his sister.

“You’re an idiot.” Was all Gwen said.

Still grinning, Remy leaned against the carved bedframe of the plush looking bed. “How long are you two gonna be here?” He asked.

“Two and a half weeks,” Gwen answered. “Tassius finally got some vacation time. Being a General is keeping him super busy these days.” She playfully gave his waist a soft squeeze, causing him to suck in a breath.

He had only been in his current rank a few months. Gwen’s mother had come to the _oserun_ in Vallum, though the rest of her family had been unable to attend his promotion. He was surprised they wanted to come at all. The ceremony was formal, and a bit tedious even by turian standards, and he could only speculate that Gwen and her human family would find it boring. Yet, they all went out of their way to congratulate him, and Gwen’s father had even sent him an extremely nice bottle of Cipritine Brandy as a gift.

“Dude, yea, I really wanted to go to your swearing in ceremony. Stupid veterinary boards ruined my entire month.” Remy grimaced at the memory.

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Tassius said earnestly. “But I am much happier to visit with you and your family when not on active duty.”

“Fair enough,” Remy said, standing up straight. “I’m gonna head downstairs to get first dibs at whatever food mom ordered. See you down there.”

As he headed out of Gwen’s room, he called over his shoulder, “Oh yea, my dad said he’s going to be in the study awhile longer but can talk to you later Tassius.”

“You and my dad are talking about stuff?” Gwen asked as the door shut behind her brother.

“Yes,” Tassius answered moving to arrange his clothing more securely in his travel bag. “Your father got some more turian liquor and wanted to know what it tasted like.”

He hoped Gwen bought his lie. He felt terrible keeping secrets from her, but everything he’d read on the extranet and been told by Captain Vallokius said this needed to be a surprise. And, that having permission from the father, while an older practice, was generally considered a nice gesture if the female and her father were close.

“Oh cool!” Gwen said, walking over to nuzzle his shoulder while he was bent over.

As Tassius stood up to wrap an arm around her shoulders and head downstairs, he could only hope that Gwen would like the gift contained in a small velvet box at the bottom of his bag.

*********

No sooner had Gwen and Tassius entered the kitchen and entertaining area, then they were charged by three small, extremely hairy creatures all making an unpleasant yapping, barking noise.

“My baby!” Gwen immediately knelt and picked up the brown furred creature with large black eyes and tiny pricked ears.

The animal laved his _amicae’s_ face, neck, arms and anywhere else it could reach with its small pink tongue. The entire display was slightly unsettling, as Tassius stood back and watched Gwen coo at the slobbering creature in her arms while it attempted to mark her like a horny fledgling would a bedpartner.

“Look Tass, this is my dog, Fizzgig.” Gwen said with a huge smile as she thrust the small beast into his face.

He was not prepared for how vile the “dog’s” breath would be. He nearly gaged when the thing somehow managed to lick the underside of his mandible. Flailing his arms against the assault, he nearly backed into Remy, who was holding the white creature, also aimed at his face.

“And this is Parmesan! Isn’t he the whitest, fluffiest cloud ever?”  This dog managed to be even more revolting than the brown one and burped in Tassius’s face before he could flee.

Tassius let out a subvocal whine of discomfort. Mercifully, Gwen picked up on his displeasure and stopped her mother before the black dog could also be shoved in his face.

“Sorry Tassius, I forgot you don’t have any experience with dogs,” Gwen said apologetically as she continued to pet Fizzgig.

Tassius eyed the three animals suspiciously. They had ceased barking at him and were now all staring with tongues lolled out and fluffy tails wagging. The memory of having the inside of his mandible licked by Fizzgig was something he wasn’t sure he could ever repress.  

Gwen set the dog down and walked over to place a comforting hand on his arm. She likely felt the mild static from his biotics, as he had very nearly used them to push the dogs away.

“Hey, sorry about that Tass. Dogs are considered a part of the family in human households. We raise them as puppies and they are incredibly bonded to us. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Tassius relaxed a bit under his loves’ touch. “I’ve never seen a dog before,” he admitted as the brown dog sniffed at his boot. “Their breath is… unpleasant.”

Remy laughed behind him. “Oh man, I forgot how much better your sense of smell is compared to us. You must be repulsed right now.”

Tassius was inclined to agree, but given that Gwen had referred to Fizzgig as “her baby,” and was now looking to him with pleading eyes, silently begging him to like her pet, he instead quirked a mandible as he looked to Gwen and said, “well, they may take some getting used to, but I’m sure they have some unseen… charms.”

All the humans gave him pleased looks, and he decided that he needed to at least _try_ to appreciate the Kedar family pets. Even if their breaths did reek of rotten flesh and burnt garbage…

Much to Tassius’s relief, the rest of the evening the dogs stayed on the floor, or else in someone’s lap, and were not put in his face again. He had almost settled in to having the creatures underfoot as he sat on the luxurious chocolate suede sofa with Gwen and her family to watch a vid.

Suddenly, the air swooshed overhead and a decently sized, grey and white bird alighted on the couch near Tassius’s shoulder. Tassius was prevented from rearing back by Gwen’s small frame tucked into his opposite side.

“Who let Archimedes out of the study?” Gwen’s father demanded.

“SHUT UP TEDDY!” The bird squawked. “WHATEVER, WHATEVER!”

“Shut up Archimedes, you’re being a jerk!” Remy scowled at the bird in the dim light.

“Remy, I told you to keep him away from everyone, he’s been obnoxious all day.” Sergei said, taking a long drink of his whiskey.

“He’s bored and lonely,” Remy pleaded as the bird walked over the cushion toward Tassius.

“He’s pretty friendly,” Gwen said from Tassius’s side. “Gently offer him your finger, see if he’ll sit on your hand.”

This creature was not nearly as off-putting as the dogs, and so Tassius did as instructed and slowly extended his long talon to the bird. The bird tilted its head as it’s pupils narrowed, before it climbed up onto Tassius’s hand and ruffled its feathers contentedly.

Tassius hummed to it with his subvocals, as he would a child, hoping to soothe it. However, the bird seemed to find this noise fascinating and it quickly hoped back up onto the couch and settled itself on Tassius’s shoulder.

“Awww! He likes you!” Gwen crooned. “Make that sound again.”

Tassius rumbled to the bird again, and it craned its neck forward to gently nibble at his mandible with its beak.

“Careful he doesn’t like you too much,” Teddy said from his spot in a large chair. “He’s in heat and is super gross if he has a crush on you.”

Tassius rumbled in confusion, just as the bird began to bob its head, before regurgitating a horrid pile of putrid, digested food onto the collar of his shirt.

“Ewww!” Gwen cried.

Tassius trilled in disgust, as Terra yelled, “not on the couch! Damn it Remy! Get him out of here!”

Remy walked over to retrieve what was clearly his pet, only to be sharply rebuffed by the bird who had cuddled up against Tassius’s lower mandible. The bird hissed at Remy whenever a hand was offered, and even snapped at him, before Gwen’s father finally stormed over, hands on his hips, and fixed the bird with a furious glare.

“Get off of him NOW Archimedes.” The authoritative tone gave the bird pause and it cocked its head at the Kedar patriarch before taking a few steps away from Tassius. “Faster, Archimedes! You’re in trouble.”

“Bird bad. Bad bird.” The bird said softly as it finally climbed onto Remy’s arm.

Everyone was standing by this point as Tassius began to pull off his soiled tunic. He sincerely hoped the smell would wash out.

“Here, Tassius, give me your shirt, I’ll throw it in the wash,” Terra said as Remy and Teddy disappeared into another room with the bird.

“I’ll get you a new shirt,” Gwen called as she trotted towards the staircase.

As Tassius stood topless and alone with Sergei who was muttering something about the bird, he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to ask him his question.

“Sergei,” he began. “I was wondering if I might speak with you about the thing I messaged you about earlier.”

Gwen’s father looked to him with mild surprise. “What’s on your mind?” He asked. “Your message was rather vague.”

“It’s about Gwen and me and…” Tassius trailed off as he tried to remember the exact phrasing he’d read on this situation.

“I was hoping that I could receive your blessing to ask Gwen to be my wife.” He said, confident he’d remembered correctly.

Sergei’s eyes went wide, and he tipped his head back a bit. _Please say yes_ , Tassius silently implored.

“When, um, when were you going to do this?” Sergei asked, still looking surprised.

“Soon. While we’re here.” Tassius replied.

Sergei nodded his head softly. “Turians don’t call it “getting married”, right? It’s called bonding in your culture?”

“Yes,” Tassius answered, and despite standing much taller than Gwen’s father, he felt as though the human man was towering above him, holding his fate in his words.

“Is bonding the same thing as being married?” Sergei sighed before Tassius could answer, briefly closing his eyes before fixing Tassius with a penetrating look. “My daughter loves you.” He said, more softly than Tassius would have expected. “Whether or not I give you my blessing, I’m sure she’d be over the moon if you asked her to marry you. But… and answer me honestly... will you be able to give her the life she deserves? Will your duties prevent you from being with her and whatever children you might choose to have?”

The question was a difficult one, and something he’d already thought about deeply and discussed with Gwen.

“I cannot promise that I might not be called away to somewhere she can’t follow.” Tassius answered honestly, before straightening his back and standing at his full height, hands laced behind him. “But, I can promise that I will always love her, and cherish her. That I will make any and all arrangements I can to be stationed on planet, so that any absences required of me shall be short. That I will put her first, and should a military posting cause her pain, I WILL remedy the situation, so we can be together. I promise I’ll give her a home, and all the adoration and loyalty a turian can give.”

It felt odd, to expose himself in such a manner to someone not his _amicae_. But if that’s what it took to convince Gwen’s father that he loved her, and to garner his support, then he’d lay his entire soul bare.

“You’re a good man, Tassius. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit unsure of you at first, but, seeing how happy you make Gwen, and how you treat her… I would love to have you as part of the family. You have my blessing, for all that’s worth.”

Sergei gave him an easy smile, even though Tassius could swear the man was holding back tears, given the glistening look of his icy blue eyes.

“Thank you, Sergei. This means a lot,” Tassius said relaxing his posture right as Gwen returned with a clean tunic.

Gwen looked between him and her father. “What were you two talking about?” She asked, handing Tassius his shirt.

“Just discussing military contracts,” Sergei quickly answered. “I was trying to see if Tassius might have any insight on whether Hahne-Kedar should focus on turian designed shotguns.”

“Right? I was asking Colonel Cassius the same thing right before we left.” Gwen said.

Tassius gazed lovingly at Gwen as she and her father began an animated discussion over firearms.  He would need to talk with the twins. Get their help for what he had planned, and hope that the answer to his still unasked question would be “yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to Squiggly_Squid for all her help with the Kedar family pets, and what obnoxious things they could do to an outsider. The parrot being in heat was all her idea, and I loved writing it, lol. Feel free to come say hello on Tumblr, @Wafflesrock16 =)


	19. Asked and Answered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW
> 
> Spiritus Auream -- A spirit of Palaven’s sun, Trebia. While not personified like human spirits with a physical body, these spirits are said to be made of pure, golden light, and are immensely powerful and revered.
> 
> Carissime – A Palaveni endearment, means loosely “my dearest love” 
> 
> Dea – A word taken from the asari, loosely translates to Goddess

Gwen awoke the next morning to the sound of Remy’s obnoxious parrot screeching from his room next door. _Stupid bitch bird_ , she thought, rolling over to check the electronic clock on her nightstand.

It was barely 6:00 in the morning, and Gwen silently fumed that she could have slept for at least another two hours.

“Good morning, my _Spiritus Auream_.”

Gwen rolled onto her opposite side to see a content looking Tassius typing something onto a data pad.

“Hey Tass,” she said before yawning. “What are you working on? We’re supposed to be on vacation.”

“My duties prevent me from ever fully being on vacation,” Tassius replied. “But don’t worry, I’m not doing military work now. I’ve been writing some poetry for the last few hours.”

More alert at this news, Gwen leaned up on her forearm, the thin strap of her night shirt falling down her shoulder as she did so.

“What kinds of poems did you write?” She asked. “Can I see some?”

“If you’d like,” Tassius said, a shy chirrup to his vocals.

Gwen took the offered data pad and started to read a poem he’d entitled _Day_ , about how the sun rose over the fathomless depths of Earth’s blue ocean waters, illuminating everything and everyone.

She’d just finished when she noticed the title of the next poem down was _Guinevere_. Curious, and a bit touched, she started to read, thinking this poem would be like the last one he wrote for her over a year ago. However, as she read through the flowing prose, she quickly deduced that the “flower” he kept referring to, was, in reality, her vagina.

Gwen felt her face heat up as she finished what could only be described as the most gorgeous praise of her womanhood she’d ever encountered. If she’d ever doubted that he loved intercourse with her, those doubts had completely vanished.

“So, erotic poetry, eh Tass?” She turned to look at him, face still flushed.

Tassius’s eyes widened as he took the pad back from her. “I didn’t realize that one was on this pad,” he said, neck blooming a bright blue.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it.” Gwen purred, easing herself into his lap.

“Really?” He asked.

Gwen hummed, as she began to gently trail her fingers up the back of his neck and under his fringe. She gently massaged around his biotic amp, a tender display of intimacy and love for a part of him no one else was permitted to touch.

Tassius groaned low in his throat. “Well, if you like it there’s a few more I could show you. But, maybe you can inspire me to write some all new ones.”

He gently cupped the back of her head with his large, three fingered hand to bring her into a heated, human style kiss. His blue tongue brushed sensually against her own while his mandibles fluttered against her cheeks.

Gwen rolled her hips against him, delighting in the way his grip on the back of her head and around her waist tightened. “Tassius.” She whispered airily.

He gently pushed her off his lap and kicked the sheets down, as she pulled her tank-top off and he positioned his much larger body over hers. Running a careful talon down her waist, he hooked it on the strap of her panties and slowly pulled them down over her legs until she was as bare as he was.

Angling his hips, he began run his already extended cock along her wet slit, causing her to arch up into him with a moan. “Oh, Tassius.” She greedily clutched at the back of his neck to bring his brow down to nuzzle against her own. His deep, rhythmic purr only stroked her passions further and she nipped teasingly at his right mandible.

“Leg up?” He asked over his rumbling subvocals.

“Yea,” Gwen answered as she turned over on her side, raising one of her lean, strong legs in the air as Tassius moved to straddle her other leg and align himself with her center.

No matter how many times they made love, Gwen would never get over the feeling of pure ecstasy she experienced when Tassius first pushed into her, hilting himself and joining them in the most fundamental expression of love and trust.

He tipped his head back, mandibles flared wide as he waited for her to adjust to him. Then, slowly, he began to thrust into her, bringing one arm around to brace her leg against him, while the other gripped at her hip.

Tassius moved in deep, rolling strokes. He tilted his head to caress a mandible lovingly against her raised calf as Gwen gasped, closing her eyes. The base of his cock rubbed against her clit while the curved tip pressed against that place inside her that had her entire body tingling as she came with a moan, pressing herself against him to ride out her pleasure.

“Spirits Gwen, I love it when you come on my dick!” Despite how erotically he could write, Tassius had taken time to get comfortable with “dirty talk.” Though, after repeated reiterations by Gwen that she found it to be a major turn-on when combined with his subharmonics, he’d become much more talkative during their couplings.

 “Fuck Tassius, you feel so good!” Gwen gripped the sheets as she felt a second orgasm begin to build.

“Carissime, oh, Spirits Carissime, I’m so close,” he panted out.

“Cum in me Tassius! I want your cum in me Tassius!”

He quickly pulled out of her to reposition himself on top of her, so that when he knotted they could both be comfortable. His previously deep, languid pace became more erratic, as he pounded into her, chasing his own completion, a string of untranslatable curses spilling from his main vocals.

They came simultaneously, Tassius with a flanged roar, Gwen with a choked off scream as his knot locked them together with his cum inside her. Tassius leaned down over her, panting heavily with a stuttering purr as he scented her brow and head. Gwen trailed kisses along his neck until he pressed her lower back closer to his groin and rolled them onto their sides.

“I love you, Tassius,” Gwen whispered against his plated chest. He hugged her impossibly tighter as he purred out her love song, before saying, “I love you too, my _dea_.”

When they were finally able to pull apart, they both agreed a shower was in order, as was some medicated ointment for Gwen. While nearly every sex position they tried felt phenomenal, chafing was something that usually came along with it.

Gwen gave Tassius’ still sensitive cock a soft kiss as it receded back behind his pelvic plates, causing Tassius to shutter. “Temptress,” he said as he offered her a hand to help her off the bed.

The two moved into Gwen’s bathroom, where Tassius had laid out all his brushes and soaps the night before. Turning on the water, Gwen spread some ointment onto her chapped inner thighs, wincing slightly. Luckily, Tassius hadn’t noticed. He always looked so remorseful when a sexual encounter left her more chafed than usual. Not that she minded a bit of raw skin. The bliss she received when he was seated inside her was worth any following discomfort.

Within minutes, the tub had filled with water and the redness on Gwen’s thighs had disappeared thanks to her medicated lotion. Stepping into the tub with a relaxed sigh, she grinned at Tassius.

“Gonna join me, or just stand there staring?”

Tassius rumbled in good humor and sat down next to her in the warm water. Gwen eased herself onto his lap, planting a few tender kisses on his mouth plates and mandibles before reaching behind him for one of his smaller ivory brushes.

With a skilled hand, she gently began to clean his face plates and fringe. Tassius’s eyes fluttered shut under her ministrations, and his purr dropped a few octaves deeper.

When she’d first asked if she could use his brushes on him over a year ago, she’d merely been curious. However, she’d eventually learned that allowing another person to clean your plates was an extremely intimate act among turians, and one generally reserved only for bondmates. The fact that he’d permitted her to do it - despite how young their relationship initially was - was a show of love and trust that still made her sigh fondly to this day.

When she’d finished scrubbing her boyfriend with his soap and brushes, she gently slid off his lap and handed him her shampoo and conditioner, so he could return the act in a similar fashion. Ever mindful of his talons, Tassius massaged her scalp and head with the pads of his fingers until her hair was fully lathered.

Gwen slid beneath the water to rinse her hair out, before returning to straddle Tassius once more.  The two stayed in the cooling water for a while afterwards, holding each other and exchanging playful kisses before finally getting out and dressing to join the rest of the family downstairs for breakfast.

Gwen noticed that the door to Remy’s room had been left open, and she figured he must have gone out surfing well before sunrise. _No wonder Archimedes was so pissy. Remy didn’t even leave cartoons on for him_ , she thought irritably. Though the bird was noticeably absent now, having likely flown downstairs to be with everyone else.

The kitchen table was a veritable smorgasbord. Gwen’s mom, ever the generous hostess, had laid out nearly every type of breakfast food imaginable, as well as a wide array of dextro food for Tassius.

Tassius made a soft whistling sound of appreciation as he thanked her mother when she handed him a cup of steaming hot Kava.

“So, what are your plans today?” Her father asked her from over his large mug of tea.

“Not totally sure yet,” Gwen said as she swallowed her croissant. “Probably check out the beach, see if Scarlet is on the island yet and maybe grab lunch somewhere in the city.”

“Too bad turians can’t swim,” Teddy said with a mouth still full of eggs. “The surf is positively righteous today. Tassius, can you swim with water wings?”

“OHHHH, TASSIUS!”

Everyone froze in the middle of speaking or chewing. Archimedes ruffled his feathers and gazed out over his captive audience from his perch on Remy’s chair.

“OHHHH, TASSIUS!” The bird cried again in a voice pitched to be as close to Gwen’s as possible.

Gwen sat wide eyed with her glass of orange juice still held halfway to her mouth, struggling valiantly not to make eye contact with anyone.

“SPIRITS CARISSIME!” Archimedes’ voice dropped several octaves as he attempted to now imitate Tassius.

“Oh my God,” Remy not so quietly giggled.

Gwen glared at him. “Your dumb bird is a pervert and a liar! That’s not what – ”

“COME ON MY DICK!” Archimedes screamed.

Teddy fell out of his chair as his entire body convulsed with laughter, while Remy had taken to snickering loudly and pointing a finger at Tassius.

“Tassius, you dirty dog!” Remy said through heaving laughs.

“OHHHH, TASSIUS!”

“We’re leaving now!” Gwen practically yelled as she quickly rose from the table, still resolutely not looking at her parents. She grabbed Tassius by the arm and all but hauled him out of his chair and out the door as the sound of her brothers’ raucous laughter followed them outside.

 _Next time we do it I’m blasting music_ , Gwen thought as she led her equally embarrassed boyfriend toward the beach where they could hopefully relax in peace, before officially starting their day.

**************

It was late in the evening when Tassius approached the twins for help. Gwen had fallen asleep an hour ago, and he’d waited to be sure she wouldn’t wake up before stealthily leaving the bed.

Remy and Teddy were in Remy’s room playing some type of vid game when he gently rapped on the door with his claws.

Teddy turned and gave him a massive grin. “Hey Tassius. You tire Gwen out already?”

Tassius ignored the remark. “Teddy, I was wondering if you and Remy could help me with something tomorrow morning.” He said.

Remy glanced over his shoulder. “What do you need help with?” He asked.

Tassius straightened his posture and assumed his full height, which caught both humans’ attention.

“I want to propose to Gwen tomorrow, but need some help distracting her before I have her meet me on the beach.”

Remy paused the game as he turned to fully face the giant turian in his room.

“Seriously? Well hey, awesome,” Teddy said.

“Do turians actually propose the same way humans do? You have a ring, right? She’s gonna be disappointed if she doesn’t get a ring.” Remy chimed in.

“I have read up on human engagements,” he assured them. “I just need to ensure she doesn’t get to the beach until after I can set up. Can you wake her up at 0530 and give her a reason to find me at the beach without being too obvious about it? Everyone says this needs to be a surprise.”

“We can definitely wake her up,” Teddy grinned. “We’ll tell her you found a dead seal or something and have questions.”

Tassius had no idea what a “seal” was, or why finding a dead one would be cause to investigate, but the twins seemed fairly sure this plan would work and so he thanked them before heading back to bed for a few restless hours.

**************

It was still dark outside, with only the faintest tips of the suns’ rosy fingers peaking over the horizon. Her bed was plush and warm, and she was dreaming about dancing with Tassius on the Citadel, when her door was abruptly thrown open and her brothers stormed into her bedroom. 

“Gwen! Wake up, wake up, wake up!” Teddy sang.

“GWEN!” Archimedes screeched from somewhere too close to her head.

“Get out of my room!” Gwen yelled, though not as forcefully as she wanted, since her voice was still choked with sleep.

“Gwen, Tassius found something dead on the beach. You need to go explain what it is – or I guess was – to him.” Remy said jumping onto her bed.

Gwen suddenly realized with Remy’s statement that Tassius was gone. Normally, despite suffering from insomnia and needing fewer hours of sleep than her, he stayed beside her and read or worked until she woke up. _Why the hell did he wander down to the beach alone?_ Gwen thought, still furious at her morning wake up.

“Oh Gwen! Earth to Gwen! Go meet your boy-toy on the beach.” Teddy jumped onto her bed next to Remy.

“GWEN!” The parrot screamed from the top of her headboard.

“Why the hell didn’t YOU go meet him on the beach?” She demanded, rolling out from under the covers.

“Screw that, whatever he found probably smells wretched. That’s your job.” Remy said clapping his hands at her to hurry her along.

Gwen stormed toward her open bedroom door.

“Whoa, you’re going like that? Put some pants on, nobody wants to see your underw—”

“GET OUT!” She screamed, practically spitting in rage.

Realizing they’d gone too far, Teddy put his hands up in surrender and Remy took Archimedes as the two slipped off her bed and into the hallway.

As soon as she heard the door to Remy’s room close, Gwen yanked off her oversized sleep shirt and pulled on a blue sun dress she’d left hanging on her desk chair the night before. Not bothering with a bra or even shoes, she stomped down the staircase and out into the blushing dawn.

 _What the hell Tassius_ , she thought grumpily. Pulling up her omni tool as she walked down the sandy path that led to the beach, she tried to message him but met with no reply. _How am I even supposed to find him?_ She thought with exasperation.

Just as she reached the bottom of the path and pulled out her omni tool to try messaging Tassius again, she noticed in the faint light of morning that a large collection of small rocks had been arranged right where the beach and trail met.

Staring at them dumbly, it took her longer than she cared to admit to realize that the rocks spelled out a phrase in Palaveni;

“My greatest love.”

Puzzled, Gwen looked out over the white sand and saw another group of rocks further down the beach. Walking out to where they were, she stared at the new message, also written in Palaveni;

“I will always adore you.”

 _What is he playing at?_ Gwen wondered, curiosity replacing her former irritation. There was another cluster of rocks a bit further down toward the shore. Picking up her pace, Gwen trotted over to read the next clue.

“You are truly my dearest gift and treasure.”

Sunrise made the white sand glow as Gwen ran barefoot down toward the waves and her next message.

“Your radiance is like a flower from the heavens.”

Gwen continued to follow the trail of rocky love letters until she finally reached the last pile, which was shaped into an arrow and pointed behind a small grove of palm trees. She hesitated, piecing together the poem in her head;

_My greatest love,_

_I will always adore you_

_You are truly my dearest gift and treasure._

_Your radiance is like a flower from the heavens;_

_Golden and strong against the azure sky._

_I will cherish and adore you as the dea you are._

_My Spiritus Auream, you give me courage and strength_

_To be the man I want to be._

_I will give you all that I am,_

_You have my heart, my spirit and voice._

_Please, grant this wish my love,_

_Say yes._

_Yes to what?_ Gwen thought, as she walked around the trees to finally see the tall, topless, form or her boyfriend.

“Tassius?” She called, the unspoken question in her tone.

He turned to face her, mandibles spread in a loving smile and red eyes soft as she walked closer.

“What is – ”

Her words died on her tongue as Tassius gently took her hand in his and started to speak, a nervous trill to his subvocals.

“Gwen, I love you. More than words could ever say. I want to continue loving you, for so long as we may travel these stars.” He looked down to her face, mandibles twitching in unsung nervous energy, before slowly kneeling on one leg in a posture so recognizable, that Gwen’s mouth fell open as understanding dawned on her like the sunrise over the beach.

“Gwen, would you grant my greatest wish, and become my bondmate?” As he spoke, he opened the palm of his other hand to reveal a gold ring inlaid with two diamonds and flanked by three rubies.

Time stopped as Gwen committed the moment to memory. The smell of the ocean breeze, the feel of the soft sand beneath her feet, the sound of waves rolling against the beach and birds calling high overhead. And the look of pure love and devotion in her fiancé’s crimson eyes.

“Yes, Tassius.” She answered in a voice too high pitched to be her own. “Of course I’ll bond with you!”

He slipped the ring onto her offered finger and then Gwen was swept up into the air as Tassius chirped and rumbled in sheer jubilation, holding her aloft against the blush of gold and rose in the sky before bringing her close to nuzzle against his forehead and purr.

Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, tears of joy threatening to spill from her eyes.

“I love you too, Tass. Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting to share this chapter for forever, haha. I hope everyone liked Tassius's proposal. I've been fortunate enough to have received some amazing fanart for this chapter, and will be posting a "fanart" chapter once I finish up the story. If you'd like to peek at it earlier, you can find it on my Tumblr, @wafflesrock16


	20. The Citadel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW
> 
> Spona – The turian version of a fiancé, or else a person betrothed to another
> 
> Carissime – A Palaveni endearment, means loosely “my dearest love” 
> 
> Promissum – The turian version of an engagement or proposal, refers more to the ritual of bringing another person into the clan. Has greatly fallen out of use in turian modern culture.
> 
> Dilectæ – A Palaveni endearment, translates to “my beloved spouse.” 
> 
> Vinum – A type of turian wine, can come in a burgundy or sparkling variety

The morning had been a blur of pure happiness. Poet that he was, Tassius couldn’t find the words to express his feelings as he and Gwen made love on the beach and then, hand in hand, returned to her family’s home where her parents and brothers were waiting to congratulate them. 

It wasn’t until several hours later, while Gwen was on a vid chat with her two friends, Scarlet, and another girl named Rachael, that Tassius placed the necessary call to his own parents.

Tradition dictated that he request permission from his mother, as the head of the family, to bring Gwen into the Malolin clan. However, it was hard to tell which family was technically “higher ranking” since Gwen’s own family was very prominent.

 _At least she made it easier by saying she wants to take my surname_ , Tassius thought as he opened his omni tool. In truth, he had told his mother of his intentions to propose to Gwen in the human fashion before he had left Taetrus, and she had already given him her blessing and expressed her enthusiasm at gaining another daughter.

His father was the parent he needed to speak with. While his dad had developed a true affection for Gwen, Tassius still remembered his father’s behavior when he first met Gwen’s parents.

“Tassius,” his father greeted as his face came into view. “How is your vacation on Earth treating you?”

“Fantastic,” Tassius answered honestly. “But, that’s not the reason I’m calling.”

“Is this about taking Gwen as a _spona_?”

Tassius was a bit surprised. He had asked his mother not to say anything, and he doubted she’d betray his confidence.

“I can see from your face that the answer is yes.” His father sighed, but instead of looking troubled or upset, he flicked a mandible up in a soft smile.

“I’m sure you’ve already spoken with your mother, if you’re calling me.” He said.  “I will admit, there was a time when I thought you should bond within our race, that your position as a General would make you a desirable match for another turian. But, Gwen is a dedicated, strong woman, who has already accomplished much despite her young age… I couldn’t be prouder to call her a daughter and welcome her into our clan.”

Tassius swallowed a trill, allowing only a soft, pleased thrum to escape his throat. “Thank you, dad.”

His father rumbled back, before cocking his head. “Under turian custom, you and Gwen need only sign the necessary paperwork and then share a meal with our family. But, I have heard that human bonding ceremonies are very large, expensive affairs. Are you going to have a human style ceremony?”

Tassius had not given the ceremony much thought. He was fine with whatever Gwen wanted to do, so long as she was legally and officially his mate at the end.

“I’m not sure yet,” Tassius said. “I’d like to make our union official as soon as possible though. The sooner I put in a request to remain on Taetrus with my mate, the more likely it’ll be granted.” He hummed. “I will let you know what type of ceremony we’ll have as soon as I can confer with Gwen.”

His father nodded, still smiling. “Excellent. Congratulations, son. Gwen will make a fine mate.”

Tassius leaned back in the soft armchair he’d been sitting in, a pleased hum to his voice as he ended the vid call. When he heard Gwen say goodbye to her friends from the next room, he sat up, eager to find out what kind of commitment ceremony she wanted.

“Hey Hot Plates,” Gwen said with a smirk as he walked into the study. “Who were you talking to?”

“My father,” he replied, easily wrapping his beautiful _spona_ up in an embrace.

“Was your dad surprised you proposed?” Gwen asked as she cuddled against him.

Tassius chuffed at her, leaning down to place a human style kiss on the top of her head. “I think he expected that I’d ask you to bond with me. He’s happy for us.”

Gwen smiled up at him, tugging lightly on his cowl to encourage him to bend down lower so she could kiss him on his mouth plates.

“I’m glad your parents approve,” she whispered against his mouth as her small tongue ran languidly against his own.

Tassius’ subvocals went down an octave in anticipation as he ran a hand down her side. “Should we go to your bedroom?” He growled.

“We could… or, we could stay here. My parents are out at some event for the next few hours and the twins are locked up in Remy’s room playing a vid game.”

Tassius was not generally the type who enjoyed public sex. He liked to keep his intimate activities private, and strictly between himself and Gwen. But, they’d already had sex on the beach this morning, so why not the study as well? At least they could close and lock the door in here.

Rumbling his assent, he lowered his head to lave a trail from Gwen’s collar bone to behind her ear with his tongue. She moaned in response and pressed herself impossibly closer to his much larger frame.

Tassius gently urged Gwen back toward the deep green chaise lounge against the far wall, pausing only to close and lock the office door. The tufted velvet of the lounge felt soft against his hide as he lay down on it, encouraging Gwen to straddle him.

Her deft fingers made quick work of his shirt, as he ran a hand up her leg and along her thigh, pulling her dress up and off as he went. Gwen ground herself against him, and he felt his cock emerge from behind his plates.

“Oh, before I forget,” Gwen said pulling back and sliding off him to trot over to the desk. “Let’s put some music on. Since, ya know, Archimedes is a feathered pervert.”

As a piano began to play, Gwen hurried back over to him and started to pull on his pants, cursing under her breath when they got stuck on his hip spurs. Growling, he helped her pull them down as he tugged on her panties with a talon, rumbling in unspoken question.

“Yea, do it,” Gwen whispered hotly against his aural canal where she’d taken to sucking on the softer hide beneath his mandible.

Tearing her underwear off her body, Tassius set to grinding a knuckle against her core, paying special attention to the small nub above her entrance. She was already wet and his subharmonics rolled and pitched as he imagined his hard cock inside her.

“Fuck, Tass,” Gwen panted. “I want you inside me.”

Not needing any further instruction, he removed his damp hand and encouraged her to straddle his waist, so she was aligned with his fully erect member. Gwen raised up onto her knees and used a gentle hand to guide him to her entrance before slowly sinking down onto him.

Tassius groaned low in his throat as he tipped his head back, overcome with sensation. He would never tire of this. Of their perfect union and the feeling of _right_ he had when he was fully sheathed inside his love.

“Spirits, Gwen,” he breathed above his subvocals.

Gwen slowly raised herself off him, only to lower herself again. Her eyes were half lidded, mouth slightly parted as she began to ride him. Tassius gripped her waist more firmly, thrusting back into her, savoring the warm embrace of her around his cock.

After what could have been an eternity of bliss, her movements began to falter as she neared her completion. Tassius added an extra roll to his thrusts, to rub against her sensitive nub as he felt a heat start to build in his lower abdomen.

Gwen came with a strangled cry as he continued to thrust up into her until he felt his cock swell, and he gripped her tighter against him as he spilt himself inside her and his knot expand, locking them together in an act Gwen had once told him was “insanely hot.”

Still panting, Gwen collapsed onto his chest as he wrapped a protective arm around her. When her breathing had settled some, she moved to interlace her fingers with those of his free hand. It was an imperfect arrangement, but perfect in that it was purely theirs. Tassius held up their entwined hands to admire the gold and jewel ring on Gwen’s small finger. Purring, he brought her hand to his mouth plates and gave her a loving nip.

“ _Carissime_ ,” he began. “Do you think we can have our bonding… wedding ceremony while we’re on vacation? I want to stay with you on Taetrus, and if we’re legally bonded, then my request will likely be honored. But the sooner I ask, the better.”

Gwen raised her head, a look of faint surprise in her features. “Do turian bonding ceremonies normally take place this soon after the _promissum_?” She asked.

Tassius flicked his mandibles out in a shrug. “They can. Turian ceremonies only involve signing the necessary legal documents and sharing a family meal. Do human ceremonies take longer to plan?”

Gwen smirked at him. “Human weddings typically take up to a year to plan. There’s a ceremony followed by a reception with hundreds of people in attendance sometimes.”

Tassius felt his eyes bulge and mandibles slacken. “Hundreds of guests?”

Gwen laughed, though the movement of her body caused his member to pulse deep inside her and her laugh quickly morphed into a moan as she gently rocked into him.

Tassius groaned, rocking with her. “You feel so perfect, love,” he breathed, caught up in the moment.

Gwen refocused her golden eyes on him. “I’ll be honest with you Tass, I don’t mind throwing together a small wedding ceremony while we’re on vacation. I never really wanted the stress of a massive wedding, and that’s exactly what it’ll turn into if my parents are given the time to invite everyone they know.”

She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Honestly, just having a few close friends and our immediate families come to a small ceremony and reception sounds perfect to me. But…” She trailed off, biting her lower lip in a way that signaled she was trying to think of how to word something.

“I’ve always wanted to get married on the Citadel.” She said, almost shyly. “I mean, would you be okay with that?”

Tassius purred to her, running a hand through her beautiful, soft hair. “I’d bond with you wherever you wanted,” he said with a good-natured mandible flick. “So long as you’re legally made my mate, the location doesn’t matter.”

“My family, Scarlett and Rachael can all be on the Citadel by next week. Can Liv and your parents make it? I’d like to see if Octa, Prenia, Tiberius and Aurelius can come too. Think _The Steadfast_ will be docking there anytime soon?” Gwen asked.

Tassius hummed in thought. If the point of this ceremony was to have close friends and family in attendance, then he also wanted to invite Commander Cassius, Captain Vallokius, and of course, Tarquin Victus.

“I can inquire with Captain Vallokius,” he replied. “ _The Steadfast_ docks at the Citadel frequently, chances are they’ll have a stopover in the next two weeks.” Gently caressing Gwen’s cheek with a hand, he asked, “is there anything else we need to do?”

“Well, I need a fancy dress, but Scarlet can help me get something together quick. Oh! And a wedding cake. But Kamala and Fulvia said they’d do our cake if they get an invite. Crap, this is already turning into a big thing.” Gwen frowned.

“It’ll be alright.” Tassius assured her, already running the logistics in his head. “I’ll contact Captain Vallokius first, figure out when _The Steadfast_ will be at the Citadel next. We can base all other invitations around that date.”

“It’s not too much?” Gwen asked him, still plainly concerned that the human tradition was overly burdensome.

“It’ll be fine,” he soothed. “The Citadel will be the perfect place to profess my eternal devotion to you and claim you as my legal bondmate.”

Gwen graced him with a radiant smile before trailing kisses along his neck. “We can do the family dinner after our ceremony,” she whispered. “It’s part of the human tradition too. But…” She leaned over and bit him gently where his neck and shoulder met, causing him to shudder and look to her with dark eyes.

“I want to use some other turian traditions,” she said gently rubbing her soft nose against his own plated one. “I want to give you a bondmark.”

Tassius trilled in surprise. He would positively _love_ to have Gwen mark him as her mate and vice versa. _Humans truly are unique among the other races,_ he mused running the back of a knuckle along the curve of Gwen’s exquisite neck.

“I’d love to give you a bondmark too, my _dilectæ_ ,” he said softly.

As Gwen leaned in to give him a deep, passionate kiss, Tassius mentally raced to make a list of people to contact in his head. They could do this. They _would_ do this. And with that determination, he relaxed into Gwen’s sweet ministrations.

*********

In truth, things had moved far more rapidly and smoothly than Gwen could have hoped. Tassius had contacted Captain Vallokius and learned that _The Steadfast_ had a three-galactic-day layover on the Citadel the following week.

 While her mother was slightly disappointed that Gwen didn’t want a giant wedding with all the trappings, her father was positively elated. He was all too happy to arrange time off work for himself and her uncle Simon. He even volunteered to fly in Tassius’s family and put them up in an apartment one floor below the Kedars’ own place. It was actually cheaper this way, he informed Gwen, than to pay for a 5-star wedding on Earth like her mother had been envisioning.

Now, settled into her family’s Citadel apartment with a mojito in hand and dressed in a short, form fitted black dress with crystal details around the low-cut top and thin straps, she was listening to Scarlet describe what her bachelorette party would be entailing this evening.

“So, we’re going to sushi for dinner, since turians can apparently eat most fish, and after that, dancing at Flux! And I know you said no strippers, but is that a solid no? Cuz I totally found this place with super-hot turian strippers.”

Scarlet held her omni-tool up so Gwen could see the large, silver plated turian stripper on the screen with his name; “C-Sex” written in glittery script above him.

Gwen raised an eyebrow at Scarlet who was nodding her head in encouragement, a large smile across her lovely, deep ochre face. “Is that a yes?”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “No strippers. The only naked turian I want to see is Tassius.”

Scarlet huffed, adjusting her pink lace mini dress as she flopped down on the couch next to Gwen. “You’re no fun,” she pouted, as Rachael came out of the bathroom, her short, dark hair and bangs perfectly straightened.

“Finally!” Scarlet exclaimed. “Bad news Rachael, Gwen still says no turian strippers.”

“Awww! Come on Gwen, you look but don’t touch! Think of everyone else,” Rachael said, brown eyes wide and pleading.

“Why are you two so obsessed with turian strippers?” Gwen said taking another sip of her drink. “Tassius has three friends with him, all of whom are single as far as I know. If you’re so desperate for a naked turian, try making a pass at one of them later.”

Scarlet made a scoffing, snorting sound as she stood back up, checking that her hair was still in its fancy braided mohawk. “That’s not the point Gwen. Strippers are part of a bachelorette party. It’s tradition.”

“You know,” Rachael said as she walked on her stilettos with practiced ease toward the door. “If Tassius is the only naked turian Gwen wants to see, maybe we should tell him – “

“Don’t you dare!” Gwen threatened as the trio headed to the lobby to hail a skycar. “Besides, Tassius would overthink the whole thing anyway. He’s already uncomfortable about having to dance in front of people at our reception, the last thing he needs is for you to tell him he has to give me a wedding strip tease.”

Her friends giggled and snickered, though Gwen wondered if a strip tease _was_ something she could talk Tassius into. At a later time of course.

As they got into the skycar to meet Prenia and Octa for sushi, Gwen lamented that Livia couldn’t join them until the day of their actual wedding. _She would have loved dinner, dancing and drinking on the Citadel,_ Gwen thought.

“Gwen! I forgot, you have to wear this,” Scarlet said, reaching into her designer bag and handing Gwen a crystal tiara and white sash that said “BRIDE” on it in large, pink cursive letters.

This particular custom was one Gwen was happy to embrace, and as she adjusted her tiara on her head, glad she’d worn her hair down, her friends whooped with delight.

“Where’s this woman’s Champaign?” Rachael demanded.

“At the restaurant!” Scarlet yelled, pulling out her omni-tool for a photo. “I went all out: Champaign, and of course Gwen’s favorite… vodka! And food too.” Scarlet winked at Gwen. “And don’t worry, I got Prenia and Octa the dextro alcohol equivalents.”

As the skycar alighted in front of the posh restaurant, Gwen immediately saw Prenia and Octa in the lounge. It looked like they’d just arrived, as the pair were turning around in small circles to take in the place. Gwen was pleased to see that her turian friends looked ready for a night out, in flashy draped dresses that showed a small amount of waist. Octa was even wearing some striking amethyst and gold mandible rings that enhanced her own violet eyes.

“Evening ladies!” Scarlet called out to the two turians with a wave. Giving the asari hostess her name, the group was quickly escorted to the large, private dining table in the back of the restaurant. 

“Let’s get this party started!” Scarlet declared once they were all seated, and several bottles of expensive alcohol had been produced. “Everyone needs to have a full glass of Champaign or _Vinum_ so that we can toast this hottie with the naughty body, marrying her God of Thunder, Tassius, also known as Thor, and his mighty blue hammer!”

Gwen almost coughed on her vodka tonic as everyone raised their glasses with giggles and quirked mandibles.

“Don’t tell everyone! He’s super shy about me talking about his dick.” At the loud chorus of screeching laughter and rumbling subvocals, Gwen turned a bright red and downed more of her drink.

“Gwen, gimme your omni-tool, I’ll take a picture on it,” Rachael said reaching toward Gwen’s wrist. Gwen handed it to Rachael and posed for a few photos.

“Do they look good?” Gwen asked taking another drink.

“Lemme check,” Rachael said pulling up the picture roll and scanning through.

“Don’t scroll too far back,” Gwen warned.

“Why?” Scarlet asked leaning over Rachael’s shoulder.  “Is there a naked picture of Tassius on there?”

“Ummm…”

Scarlet and Rachael squealed in delight as Rachael quickly flipped through the photos, laughing and shrieking in victory when they found the picture of Tassius splayed out on his bed, cock fully unsheathed, and a flower in his mouth.

“Okay, okay,” Gwen said, snatching back her tool. “Don’t any of you **dare** tell him you saw that!” 

“The General is certainly keeping in shape,” Prenia said with a smirk as she took a prim sip of her _Vinum_.

“ANYWAYS,” Gwen said, “I’m so happy you guys could all be here! I can’t wait to hit Flux!”

“Food and vodka first,” Rachael decreed, filling Gwen’s glass with more Belvedere.

It wasn’t long until the group were pleasantly buzzed, and enjoying sashimi, made with some fish from Thessia Gwen couldn’t pronounce.

“Gwen,” Prenia said, raising her glass of sparkling _Vinum_ , “General Malolin could not have hoped for a more perfect, vivacious mate. He is a lucky man.”

“Damn right!” Scarlet cheered, blowing Gwen a kiss.

“How do turians bond… get married?” Rachael asked Octa. “Since you don’t do rings, do you do something else?”

“Turians do bondmarks,” Octa said, placing a piece of fish on her tongue before swallowing it whole. “We use our teeth to mark our mates’ neck, leaving a permanent scar.”

“Oh what?” Scarlet paused with her glass halfway to her ruby red lips. “Gwen, are you gonna let Tassius bite you? I mean, I guess it could be hot…” She trailed off as she considered.

“We already discussed it, and yea, I wanna do bondmarks. I get to give him one too.” Gwen waggled her eyebrows at her friends, the vodka making her bold. “He likes it when I get aggressive.”

A round of high pitched laughter followed this statement, and soon, everyone was ready to go dancing.

As they piled into a skylimo and headed out into traffic, Scarlet turned to Prenia. “Tell me Prenia, what was your first impression of Gwen?”

Prenia thrummed in good humor, before saying, “I thought she had luscious hair. And that she’d finally be the first person on the ship to bed Kabalim Malolin.”

“Hey hey!” Rachael said. “Was Tassius a prude? I thought turians were more open sexually. No offense!”

Octa laughed loudly. “Compared to humans, turians are more open about sex. But, the Kaba—Tassius didn’t ever really accept offers for stress release. So, when Gwen came down from the third level of the ship reeking of his pheromones, there were more than a few surprised crew members.”

“Pheromones?” Scarlet asked, as they pulled up to Flux.

“I’ll tell you later,” Gwen said as they exited the car. She wondered it Tassius was having fun at his bachelor party. They were supposed to meet up for cocktails in another few hours and she hoped her brothers were making his evening entertaining, and not traumatizing.

 _See you soon Thor_ , she thought with a smirk as she and her friends strode into Flux and the VIP section. Tonight was already fantastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tassius might be stationed on Taetrus, but he does have to stay away over night sometimes. Gwen probably convinced him to let her take a fun/sexy picture of him for nights he was away, much to her friends' delight. As always, feel free to say hello on Tumblr, @wafflesrock16


	21. A Wild Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFWish
> 
> Spona – The turian version of a fiancé, or else a person betrothed to another

Despite feeling a bit anxious about what his evening would entail, Tassius was extremely pleased to be reunited with Aurelius, Tiberius, and Tarquin - his oldest and closest friend.

He and Tarquin had met in basic while both in training on Palaven. Tarquin was the only child of the highly decorated General, Adriene Victus, and had felt immeasurable pressure to live up to the family name. He and Tassius had often stayed up late into their sleep cycle discussing the stresses of parental expectation, and talking animatedly about their hobbies.

Had his family been different, Tassius knew Tarquin would have been an amazing chef. Tassius himself was decent in the kitchen, having grown up assisting his mother in making food for guests, but Tarquin was on an entirely different level. The man had a pallet that any food critic would envy, and almost every time he tried his hand at a new cuisine, the results had been delicious.

Being a biotic, Tassius ate a good deal more than most of the other cadets stationed at Fort Palaven. His friend had been more than happy to cook him a large meal made from whatever he could find around the mess hall after Tassius returned from training, famished and exhausted. Tassius had appreciated that kindness more than Tarquin would ever know.

Tassius walked out into the entertaining area of the apartment and joined the rest of his friends and Gwen’s brothers. The twins had informed him that tonight was supposed to be a fun evening with comrades before joining up later with Gwen and her friends. While that sounded fine to Tassius in theory, he had no clue what Teddy and Remy considered to be “fun,” and a small part of him was dreading the answer.

“Alright gentlemen!” Teddy called out, climbing on top of the coffee table to stand taller. “We’ve never planned a turian bachelor party before, so does anyone have suggestions about stuff they’d like to do tonight to help Tass celebrate his last evening as a single man?”

“We could watch a movie,” Aurelius suggested. “There’s a remake of an old human vid that just got released that’s supposed to be fantastic. Has anyone here heard of “Harry Potter?”

“We’re not watching Harry fucking Potter. That’s what you do when you’re bored at home. Next suggestion?” Remy said.

“We could make something fun in the kitchen,” Tarquin suggested, eyeing the large double oven. “Maybe make a batch of levo/dextro cookies? Or perhaps some type of stuffed fowl?”

“Wow, okay, Harry Potter and baking. Seriously my dudes, think of something wild and crazy you wouldn’t do otherwise.” Teddy said, looking irritated with Tarquin and Aurelius.

“Well, Galaxy of Fantasy _is_ having a group melee tournament.” Tiberius offered. “We could set up the large vid screen in here and form a team to – ”

“Well, clearly turians have a vastly different opinion of what constitutes a wild and crazy night,” Remy cut Tiberius off. “Luckily for you three, we’re here, and already prepared for your lameness. Teddy?”

“Alright men, here’s the plan,” Teddy said jumping off the coffee table. “First, we’re going to grab dinner at the new fusion restaurant that opened up a few blocks away. BBQ and booze. Lots of booze.” Teddy walked over to Tassius, grinning widely. “Next, we’re going to hit up Dark Star Lounge for even _more_ drinking, and maybe dancing. Rumor has it that they’ve started doing karaoke there, and if that’s true, that’s totally happening.”

“We thought about hitting a strip club, but weren’t sure if you’d like that,” Remy said, walking over to his twin.

“Plus, you know, Gwen might murder us,” Teddy said with a laugh. “Any questions?”

Before Tassius could ask why they thought he’d enjoy getting drunk and singing karaoke, the twins had begun ushering the much larger turians out the door. Tarquin rumbled to him in question and Tassius could only shrug his mandibles. _I wonder if this is what all human bachelor parties are like_ , he thought as the group waited for a skycar.

Once seated snugly inside the vehicle, Teddy began to talk loudly over everyone else. “Your names are all super long. So is mine, hence why I go by Teddy and not Theodore.” He pointed a finger at Tiberius. “For tonight, you’re Tibs,” he said before looking to Aurelius. “You’re Aurie. Tass, you’re obviously Tass, unless you’d prefer “Ohhh, Tassius!” Teddy pitched his voice as high as he could to mimic his sister.

Tassius let out a low growl, mentally cursing Remy’s infernal parrot. “Tass will do if we must use abbreviations.”

“We must,” Remy said from his place sandwiched between Tiberius and Aurelius.

“As for you Tarquin,” Teddy went on unphased. “Instinctively, I want to call you Quincy – ”

“Instinctively?” Tarquin questioned, mild irritation in his voice.

“But you strike me more as a “T.” So for tonight, you’re T,” Teddy finished as the skycar stopped in front of _Taccas_ restaurant.

Despite the irritating nicknames, Tassius did have to admit that the food at _Taccas_ was fantastic. The liquor selection wasn’t too bad either, and since the twins had announced they were funding this evening’s activities, Tassius and imbibed more than his customary amount of brandy.

Tarquin, Aurelius, and Tiberius, also looked pleasantly inebriated as Remy, who was clearly feeling the effects of his alcohol, raised his glass containing something called a “Manhattan” in the air.

“To Tass! My new dirty talking brother-in-law! I’m sure you a Gwen will be VERY happy together.” Remy waggled his eyebrows at Tassius.  

“Here here!” Teddy clinked glasses with his brother. While his friends likely didn’t understand the reference to dirty talking, they all cheered and drank as well. His neck a faint tint of blue, Tassius downed the rest of his drink.

“Let’s get this man to the dance floor!” Teddy called out louder than necessary. And before he knew it, Tassius and his friends were being herded into a new, and thankfully larger, skycar.

“Hey Aurie, I saw you eyeing the human waitress, got a thing for humans too?” Remy asked, swaying slightly in his seat.

“I liked her hair,” Aurelius said, grinning. “What do you call that style?”

“A braid.” Teddy answered sounding amused. “Speaking of humans, I gotta ask Tass, what’s better; human lady or turian lady?”

“What’s better?” Tassius repeated, still mildly feeling his liquor despite his quicker metabolism. “How do you mean?”

“Like sex, obviously,” Remy said, leaning back in his seat. “Without talking about you and Gwen, how does sex with a human compare to sex with a turian?”

Tassius wasn’t sure he wanted to answer this question. Gwen was the first and only human he’d ever been with, anything he said about intercourse with a human female would obviously refer to her. Fortunately for him, Aurelius answered instead.

“Humans are wetter than turian females. And given the general size difference, tighter. And definitely more flexible.”

“But turian females have soft ridges inside them. Coupled with our subharmonics, it’s like a massage for your cock,” Tiberius finished.

“Oh shit, really?” Teddy asked, looking far more interested at this information than Tassius would have assumed.

Tiberius flicked a mandible. “Both are fantastic though.”

Tassius decided to ignore the conversation about genitals and turned to Tarquin, who had been relatively quiet.

 _Having fun?_ He asked subvocally.

Tarquin turned to him with a good-natured quirk of his mandibles. “I am actually,” he answered in his main voice. “Just a bit nervous about my promotion. Becoming a Lieutenant is a big achievement. But…” He trailed off, finishing with his subvocals.

_Do I deserve it?_

Tassius understood Tarquin’s concern. With a father like General Victus, it was hard not to wonder how much of his advancement was based on his own merit and how much relied on the Victus family name. But Tarquin was a capable soldier. Tassius was sure that his advancement was based on his own impressive record.

 _You DO deserve it,_ he vocalized back.

Tarquin visibly relaxed, before grinning back at Tassius. “Enough about me. We’re supposed to be celebrating you and Gwen. I can’t wait to meet her in person, she sounds wonderful.”

“She is,” Tassius said fondly. “And beautiful and strong and talented. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve her, but I’m grateful every day to call her mine.”

“We’re here!” Remy yelled. “Everyone out!”

As the group piled out of the skycar, Tassius and his friends moved to stand in the rather long line.

“What are you doing?” Teddy asked. “We’re VIP, you don’t stand in line. This way,” he gestured with a wave toward the entrance.

Still uncertain, Tassius and the other turians followed the two shorter human men as they walked up to the massive krogan bouncer. Teddy said something to the man, and Tassius thought he saw a credit chit exchanged, before the bouncer stepped aside and wished them a fun evening.

The club was dark, but the large, circular bar was lit up like a beacon. The twins immediately made their way over to it, gesturing for the rest of the group to follow. Catching the attention of the turian bartender, Remy leaned over the counter before inquiring, “what’s the strongest dextro stuff you got? My soon-to-be brother-in-law needs to get smashed!”

“I don’t need to get smashed,” Tassius attempted to interrupt, only to be waved off by Teddy.

“Yes, you do,” Teddy said. “They’re all biotics, too, so it’s gotta be strong and we’re gonna need a lot of it,” he told the bartender with a smirk.

Rumbling in amusement, despite casting Tassius and his friends a suspicious glance at the biotic information, the bartender reached under the counter and pulled out an entire case of Horosk. Tassius heard Tiberius give a subvocal gasp, which Tarquin soon echoed.

“This should knock you on your collective asses,” the bartender said with a satisfied grin. “Normally we only give these out one at a time, but if you insist on putting your friends in a coma, this will do the job.”

“Alright!” Remy cheered, handing him a credit chit. There was no way that amount of alcohol came cheap, but neither twin batted an eye as they both ordered levo concoctions for themselves, before Teddy gestured at Aurelius to grab the case of hard dextro liquor.

Finding a large, unoccupied booth, the group slid into the benches and Teddy reached into the case pulling out a long, cylindrical glass and handing it to Tassius. “You’re up Tass!” He yelled over the music.

Tassius looked reluctantly at the blue liquid he’d once heard described as “rocket fuel,” before sighing and throwing back half the glass. It burned going down his throat, but in a deceivingly warm, almost pleasant way. “It’s not bad,” he said looking to Aurelius who was holding his own glass out at arm’s length.

Rumbling in uncertainty, but not wanting to appear cowardly in front of his former Kabalim, Aurelius threw back the entire drink. Tiberius and Tarquin followed suit.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Remy crowed, quickly drinking one of his tiny shot glasses full of something called Tequila. “Everyone do one more! I already put Tass’s name in line for karaoke!”

“You did what?” Tassius asked, feeling light headed.

“Yea man! You can pick whatever song you want!” Teddy informed him. “Are you drunk enough to be fun yet?”

Tassius threw back the rest of his Horosk before considering the question. “Yesss, I am… inebriated enough to make a fool… of myself.”

“Excellent!” He heard Remy say.

 _Are you feeling alright?_ Tarquin asked him in slurred subvocals.

 _I’m fine_ , Tassius responded.

Due to the fast rate which his biotics metabolized alcohol, Tassius had only ever been drunk once before in his life. After his promotion to Kabalim, he and his father had finished off several bottles of turian brandy. He’d suffered a splitting headache the following morning, though from what he’d heard from others, his biotics had helped make his hang-over far gentler than normal.

“Tass, you’re up!” Remy called. “Quick, pick a song!”

“Tibs, Aurie, T, you’re next! We’re gonna sing Motown!” Teddy yelled.

“Mo what?” Tiberius questioned.

Tassius rose shakily to his feet, using the table to settle himself. Shaking his head to clear it, he walked over to the large holo screen, which asked him what song he would be singing. Generally, Tassius only listened to turian classical music, finding the more modern songs to be irritating and unimaginative. But, there _was_ an older human song he enjoyed and knew the lyrics to. It was a favorite of both he and Gwen, and his _spona_ had once told him that it was _their_ song.

He thrummed happily upon finding it in the song selection, and stepping up onto the raised platform, Tassius took the microphone and began to sing along with the lyrics on screen.

“Whoa, my loveee. My darling, I hunger for your touch. Alone. Lonely time…” Tassius closed his eyes, picturing himself and Gwen slowly swaying to the melody.

“And time, goes by, so slowly, and time can do so much…” Tassius opened his eyes, grateful the room was no longer spinning. “Are you still mine?” He pitched his subvocals into a higher octave to keep with the crescendo of his main voice.

“I need your love, I… I… need your love. God speed your love to meee…” Were he less focused on remembering the lyrics, Tassius might have noticed that nearly everyone within earshot was staring at him. And that more than a few mouths were hanging open.

Tassius continued to sing, until he got to the final part of the refrain. Tipping his head back and thinking of Gwen, he finished with no small amount of vocal flourish, “I need your love! I need your love. God speed your love to… MEEEE.” The music gently came to an end, and Tassius looked out over an awestruck crowd of club goers. Whining in discomfort and wondering how badly he’d embarrassed himself, Tassius was not prepared for the thunderous applause and cheers that erupted from nearly every person in the building.

Unsure what to do, he bowed slowly, before drawing on his military training, and head held high, carefully exited the stage to the refuge of the booth and his friends. Upon sitting down, he was clasped on both shoulders by Remy and Teddy respectively.

“Holy fucking shit Tass!” Remy yelled. “Where the fuck have you been hiding that talent?”

 _Impressive!_ Tarquin rumbled to him.

“That was incredible!” Tiberius agreed, mandibles still flared widely in genuine surprise and delight. “I didn’t know you could sing Kabal – Tassius!”

“I don’t sing.” Tassius said, flustered. “Well, I mean I do, but only for Gwen.” He grabbed another glass of Horosk from the case and took a long drink.

“You need to share that gift more often buddy!” Teddy exclaimed. “No seriously though, you need to sing for Gwen at your wedding.”

The notion of singing to Gwen in front of his family, friends, and several superiors, was not something Tassius relished. However, he wouldn’t be opposed to serenading her in private. He might actually enjoy writing a song just for her and giving it his all.

“I don’t think I’ll be singing in public anytime soon,” Tassius said resolutely, taking another drink.

“Boo!” Remy pouted, though thankfully he dropped the subject as the rest of their group took to the stage.

 _Spirits, I am going to hate myself tomorrow_ , Tassius thought as he took another drink. _But, I suppose you only live once as the humans say_.

**********

Gwen’s feet were sore from dancing by the time she and her friends made their way into Dark Star Lounge to meet up with Tassius. She was unapologetically drunk and looking to stick her tongue down her fiancé’s throat. A fact she’d been making abundantly clear to her friends on the ride over.

“Hey, there they are!” Scarlet called, pointing to a large booth.

Discomfort forgotten, Gwen trotted over to where Tassius was rising out of the booth to greet her. Slamming into him with happy laughter, he fell backwards on top of Remy who squawked something about Tassius being “pointy” before struggling free.

“Ladies, have a good night on your end?” Teddy asked, scooting closer to Tiberius to make room for everyone.

“Hell yea we did!” Scarlet said, sliding in next to Aurelius. “We fucking **_owned_** _Flux_ by the time we left. And since we’re all such vivacious hotties, all our drinks were free!”

“What!” Remy yelled.

“Free is the best price,” Gwen whispered loudly to Tassius before licking his mandible.

“Get a room!” Teddy demanded.

“Hi, I’m Scarlet,” Gwen heard her friend say to Aurelius.

“I’m usually Aurelius, but tonight I’m Aurie.” Gwen turned to look as Aurelius ogled her friend. “You have very nice breasts,” he told Scarlet.

“Thanks, they’re pierced,” Scarlet said.

“I’m not nearly drunk enough for this conversation,” Rachael declared. “Prenia, let’s go see if the bartender has anything good.”

Gwen thought she heard Teddy ask Octa if he could touch her teeth, but she was far more interested in kissing Tassius. Licking his mouth plates and hoping he was game for a little public display of affection, Gwen moaned loudly when he opened his mouth to wrap his much longer tongue around her own.

Gwen pulled back to stare at him. “Tass… Tassishus, you taste like… sweet and sour sauce. Were you eating Chinese food?”

“What… is… Chinese… food?” He asked, deliberately sounding out the syllable to each word.

“Yer drunk,” Gwen snorted. “Less dance Tass!” Despite her throbbing feet, dancing with her fiancé was not something she was about to pass up. Tugging on his arm to encourage him to follow her out onto the dance floor, Gwen began to shamelessly grind on him as soon as the pair reached the rest of the dancers.

Tassius grabbed her around the waist as he clumsily tried to imitate her movements, nodding his head to the pulse of the music. Gwen grabbed him by his mandibles and hauled his head down for a sloppy kiss which was mostly tongues as she continued to rub herself against him.

“Spirits Gwen, we, we should… I’m already out of my plates.” Tassius gasped against her lips.

“I can help you with that,” Gwen giggled. Wrapping one arm around his neck to keep him close, she lowered her other hand to his crotch, and started to rub against the large bulge straining against his pants.

“Here? I, Gwen... I… don’t stop…” Tassius moaned as he stumbled around the dance floor, gripping her ass tightly with both hands. Gwen couldn’t say how long she stroked, squeezed and rubbed on him until she distinctly felt his cock pulse beneath her hand and his pants grow damp.

“Messy Hot Plates,” she snickered as Tassius sagged against her. “You… do you want a napkin?”

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Tassius rumbled, sounding exhausted.

“Yer a light weight,” Gwen informed him with a kiss as he staggered towards the mens room.

Returning to the table with everyone else, Gwen grabbed a Long Island near Teddy and drank the rest of it while her brother talked with Octa.

“Tiberius? Tibby?” He turned to look at her. “Does my hand smell?” She offered out her hand and watched Tiberius crinkle his nose before his eyes went wide.

“Uh oh,” Gwen said. “Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone,” she whispered to him before grabbing Rachael by the arm. “Less go wash my hands,” she said.

“Why?” Her friend asked, following her anyways.

“Cuz Tass is a dirty boy and I’m a bad girl,” Gwen told Rachael in a conspiratorial whisper.

By the time the two girls had returned from the bathroom, Tassius was back at their table leaning heavily on Tarquin. “Light weight,” Gwen giggled again.

The rest of the night went by in a cocktail of color and noise. Gwen wasn’t sure when it happened, but she, Tassius, and the others somehow ended up in the separate rented apartment her parents had booked for the younger wedding attendees.

Gwen was exhausted and hungry. She and Rachael had been discussing pizza, and while she didn’t know who had ordered it, the extra pepperoni and cheese pizza she was presently inhaling was the best food she’d ever had in her life.

She’d taken three slices back into the master bedroom with her and was happily enjoying her late-night meal while Tassius was blacked out on the bed.

She couldn’t be sure, but she thought Scarlet and Aurelius had snuck off into one of the other rooms together. Snickering to herself, Gwen finished her food before stumbling into the bathroom to wash her face and change before joining Tassius in sweet oblivion. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wanted to know why “Unchained Melody” is Gwen and Tassius’s song, I’d recommend giving the gift fic to Squiggly of the same name a read ;)
> 
> Major thanks to Squiggly_Squid for reminding me that Horosk is essentially dextro jet-fuel and the perfect thing to get biotics drunk. Also thank you to Saphistar for reviewing a few things in this and inspiring the dance scene with some lovely art.
> 
> Finally, thank you to Flux-eterna for helping me flesh out Tarquin Victus and his personality. You're awesome!


	22. I Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spona – The turian version of a fiancé, or else a person betrothed to another
> 
> Crustulam Cibum – A type of small meat cake filled with herbs and baked meat. A common breakfast food for turians. 
> 
> Xemna – A large type of herd animal used for food. The turian equivalent of a cow.
> 
> Louza – A type of dextro poultry. The turian version of chicken. 
> 
> Domine – A polite version of “Sir” used for people outside the military. Generally used for elders. 
> 
> Aeternum Song – Loosely translates to “heart song,” and is a type of vocalization turians make for their romantic partners. The song is specific to the mate, if a turian has more than one partner in a lifetime, the new song will vary drastically.

The Citadel didn’t have a true day and night like a planet would. Instead, the wards and Presidium were on a timer that lowered the lights for several hours during certain parts of the galactic day to emulate the biological algorithms of the different species that lived there. 

Even so, in all the times he’d ever spent a night on the Citadel, Tassius had never managed to sleep until the artificial dawning of the day cycle. So, he was surprised when he cracked open an eye to be greeted with a new morning well underway.

Slowly sitting up in bed, he was immediately made aware of a splitting headache focused in the middle of his skull, that seemed ready to crack his head open. Groaning, he lowered his face into his hands, noting that his breath smelled like the latrines back on Fort Palaven. _I’m never drinking Horosk again,_ he mentally promised himself.

He heard a soft moan off to his right. Forcing himself to turn his head, he saw Gwen sprawled out on her side of the bed, face planted inside her pillow and tangled, golden hair flung in all directions.

She rolled onto her side facing him, her skin wearing the faint impressions of the pillow case. “Hey,” she croaked before wincing and screwing her eyes shut once more. “I need water, aspirin, a shower and food. In that order.”

Water and some type of fast acting pain reliever sounded magnificent to Tassius, and taking a steadying breath, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. The apartment had come with a stocked medicine cabinet and sifting through the various bottles and packages, Tassius sighed in relief at finding duel-chirality headache suppressant.

He grabbed a cup from next to the bathroom sink and greedily gulped down the tap water and a double dose of the medicine, before refiling the glass and walking back to Gwen with two pills. Gwen was sitting up and massaging her temples when he returned, taking both water and medicine gratefully.

“Okay,” she said after dinking the entire glass of water. “I need a shower. Wanna join me Tass?”

He rumbled in agreement and the pair walked back into the bathroom, Gwen pulling off her shirt as they went. Stepping under the warm spray of water in the large shower, Tassius opened his mouth, hoping to wash out some of the vile odor.

Gwen tipped her head back and stayed frozen under the shower’s hot caress until slowly moving to grab some soap and begin washing her face. Neither of them spoke much as they fumbled to clean themselves, and only after they had toweled off did Gwen gently press herself against him for a hug.

“Why does alcohol have to be so shitty the next day?” Gwen said into his chest with a sigh.

“This is only the second time I’ve ever had a hangover,” Tassius admitted, rubbing soothing circles on her back. “And this is much worse than the other one I had.”

Gwen tilted her head up to make eye contact. “At least your biotics will help you metabolize your booze faster. You’ll probably be fine in a few hours, maybe just tired.”

While this was mercifully true, Tassius hoped Gwen would feel better soon as well. They had a lot to accomplish in the next couple of hours before their wedding ceremony. He’d hate for her to be sick during such an important event.

As though reading his mind, Gwen reached up a hand to caress his mandible and give him a sweet smile. “I’ll be alright Tass. I just need some food and more water.”

Tassius leaned down to nuzzle her brow and scent her as his _spona_ , before gently pulling back to get dressed. Pulling on a pale pink tunic and gray pants, he waited for Gwen to finish zipping up her own pants, some style called “jeans,” before opening the bedroom door and heading for the kitchen.

He was instantly greeted with the mouth-watering smell of hot sweet meats and _crustulam cibum_ , seasoned with herbs and spices that reminded him of his childhood home and family breakfasts.

His stomach rumbled angrily, demanding he find the source of the smell and eat. Walking quickly, Tassius stepped out into the kitchen to find Tarquin and Rachael hard at work over the ovens and stove top. Rachael had a large plate of some yellow, fluffy looking things near her, and another plate with some type of curious smelling levo meat.

But Tassius’s full attention lay with the large, steaming pans Tarquin was pulling from an oven. “Are those _crustulam cibum_?” He asked his friend as he made his way over, mandibles flared.

Tarquin allowed a proud thrum to escape his chest before saying, “they are. Made with seasoned _louza_.” He turned to give Tassius a large grin. “I also made sweet meats with fresh _xemna_. That’s your favorite, right?”

“Spirits yes,” Tassius said rumbling to his friend in question as his hand hovered over a delicious strip of sweetened _xemna_.

 _I made it especially for you, take it_ , Tarquin vocalized.

Tassius placed the blue strip of meat on the back of his tongue, savoring the rich floral quality of the food before swallowing and immediately going back for more.

“Oh my god, scrambled eggs and bacon? You’re an angel Rach!” Gwen joined Tassius in the kitchen and began heaping food onto a large plate.

“Eat up lady, but don’t stuff yourself. You gotta get your final dress fitting in before this afternoon and Scarlet will kill you if she has to alter too much fabric.”

Gwen scoffed at Rachael as Tassius began to pile up sweet meats and _crustulam cibum_ onto a plate. Unlike Gwen, he didn’t have to worry about eating too much today, and he wasn’t about to let Tarquin’s hard work go to waste.

Slowly, the smell of hot food brought the others out of their various rooms. First Prenia and Octa, and then Tiberius and the twins, who both looked like they’d just rolled out of bed. As everyone sat eating either at the counter or the kitchen table, Gwen glanced around before asking, “so, are Aurelius and Scarlet going to grace us with their presence?”

Remy snorted to himself, before wincing at the movement. “Pretty sure those lovebirds didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“It’s true, we didn’t.” Scarlet said as she and a pleased looking Aurelius entered the kitchen.

 _Fun evening?_ Tassius asked Aurelius subvocally.

 _The best_ , the other biotic grinned.

“Gwen, don’t eat too many eggs! I based your dress measurements from last week and had half my team drop everything to get it done.” Scarlet began piling the stuff called “bacon” onto a plate. “Oh, and my assistant is going to be at your fitting, too. If there’s any major problems, Prazza can handle it.”

“Prazza?” Gwen asked.

“Yea, Prazza vas Tonbay. She’s on her pilgrimage and is an actual sorceress with a needle and thread.” Scarlet said with a mouth full of bacon.

Tassius turned to Gwen who was already looking more alert than she was when they’d first left their room. “Your morning sounds busy.” He said, grateful that he didn’t need to get fitted in special clothes. His formal General regalia had already been approved by Gwen for him to wear at the ceremony – though for some reason she’d been adamant that the accompanying headscarf made him look “ridiculous” and she’d asked him not to wear it.

“You’re not off the hook.” Gwen informed him. “Kamala messaged me this morning that they and Fulvia need a bunch of fancy dextro chocolate from some shop in the upper wards.”

“I can do that,” Tassius assured her with a purr.

Finishing his breakfast before Gwen, Tassius decided to head to the chocolate shop immediately while Gwen and her entourage went to Scarlet’s Citadel studio.

Tarquin said he was going to clean up the kitchen and try to take a nap, while Tiberius and Aurelius headed back to _The Steadfast_ to grab their own formal attire. Content to run his errand alone, Tassius had not been prepared to run into Sergei on his way to the skycar terminal.

“Ah Tassius, where are you off to?” Gwen’s father inquired.

“I’ve been instructed that I need to pick up some dextro chocolate from a shop in the upper wards.” Tassius said as he hailed a car.

“That’s where I’m headed as well. Terra asked me to pick up the wedding favors from some store over there.”

“Wedding favors?” Tassius questioned.

“Gifts for the wedding guests.” Sergei shrugged. “It’s tradition. Just like the bride and groom giving each other gifts.”

Tassius felt his blood turn to ice water. “I, um. Am I expected to present Gwen with a gift?”

Sergei quirked an eyebrow at him as the skycar appeared. “Traditionally, yes, you should get your wife a special gift. Something personal and from the heart.”

 _What do I do?_ Tassius mentally raced trying to think of some present he could quickly get for Gwen before their wedding ceremony in just a few hours.

“Tell you what Tassius. Let’s share a cab to the upper wards and I’ll try to help you with the gift thing,” Sergei offered.

Tassius gave him a grateful chirp which Sergei seemed to understand as the two sat in the vehicle and Tassius input the chocolate shop as their nav point.

“So, is there anything Gwen has mentioned wanting to you?” Sergei asked as their car pulled into traffic. “Or something you know she’d really love you to do for her?”

Tassius rumbled in thought. The Kedar family wealth meant Gwen rarely wanted for any real, tangible goods. As far as him doing something for her, he’d already allowed her to take _extremely_ intimate holo photos of him. “For those cold lonely nights when you’re away,” she’d told him with heated eyes.

Tassius sighed, “I can’t think of anything she wants,” he said despondently.

“Well, is there something she already has and loves that could be added to or improved upon?” Sergei asked.

Tassius tried to think of something Gwen already had and treasured. The only thing that came to mind was her dog. Spirits, but she loved that smelly creature. Suddenly his eyes went wide. He knew exactly what he could do for Gwen that she would love.

“You look like you’ve had an idea,” Sergei noted with a small smile.

“I have.” Tassius said with a happy thrum underlying his main speech. “I’ll need to stop by the Hierarchy permit office after the chocolate shop.”

Soon, the pair reached their destination. But, instead of parting ways, Sergei said he wanted to look inside the store for something levo based he could bring his wife.

The shop was moderately sized for a chocolatier, and the walls were painted a lovely mint green with swirling white accents. And the air smelled positively divine. Both levo and dextro chocolates were on display in color coordinated bins.

Tassius pulled up the list Gwen had sent him to see what exactly he needed to bring back. As he stood reading, he heard Sergei greet another customer and start a conversation. _Gwen isn’t the only one who has a way with people_ , he mused.  

“Tassius, come here for a second, I want to introduce you to someone.” Tassius turned toward Sergei only to come face to face with the amethyst eyes of an older male turian with charcoal colored plates and Palaveni colony markings.

Oh… no… He froze, mandibles pulled tightly to his face as he recognized the older man from the lingerie store over a year ago. There was no forgetting that incident, and given the older turian’s size and bulk, there was no forgetting _him_ , either.

“Tassius, this is Davix, he operates the best maintenance garage on the Citadel. I’ve been going to him for years. Davix, this is my soon-to-be son-in-law, Tassius Malolin.”

 _Maybe he won’t recognize me_ , Tassius hoped as he straightened his posture to give Davix a polite bow.

“Hey, Tassius, don’t I know you from somewhere?” Davix asked, bowing back.  

“I’m sorry, _domine_ , but I think you have me confused with someone else,” Tassius lied.

“ _Domine_? Say, I DO know you. I saw you at _This Ones Intimate Apparel_ last year!” Davix splayed his large, cracked mandibles in a smile. “You were looking to buy your human girlfriend some sexy lingerie! Corset, right?” Davix turned to Sergei. “Spirits Surge, I didn’t know Gwen was the human girl this fledging was railing!”

Gwen’s father turned to regard Tassius with narrowed eyes and an otherwise blank expression.

“Ah, yes, I believe we did see each other there.” Tassius said, hoping that his acknowledgment would end the conversation.

“And now you’re bonding to Surge’s daughter!” Davix continued, clearly delighted at the situation. “Did you already get her something special to wear for your honeymoon? I can tell you from personal experience that honeymoon sex is positively spectacular.” Davix let a purr slip into his speech.

Tassius sincerely wished he were embroiled in a heated battle with an over powered merc group. That he were doing anything else rather than standing in this quaint chocolate shop having an old man give him “honeymoon sex” advice in front of his _spona’s_ father. From the heat creeping up his neck, he assumed he had an amazing blush.

“Yes… I hadn’t really thought about the honeymoon part.” Tassius glanced at Sergei who looked distinctly unimpressed with the entire conversation and had fixed his friend with an incredulous stare.

“Haven’t thought about the honeymoon? Spirits, it was some of the best sex my wife and I ever had! We broke the bed at our hotel after I knot – ”

“Adavixus!” A comparatively small human woman with shoulder length brown hair stormed over to the group. Tassius assumed this must be Davix’s wife, and he besought every Spirit of Taetrus that she would end this terrible conversation.

Davix’s wife shot her husband a murderous look. “What’s the matter with you? We **just** discussed this last week. Do **not** talk to people about our sex life or theirs.” The woman gave Tassius an apologetic look. “I am so sorry,” she said glancing to Sergei as well.

Davix’s demeanor immediately shifted into one of regret. “I’m sorry,” he said looking down at the ground as he spoke. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, it’s just, well…” He looked at his wife, mandibles flaring out in a tender smile as he gently ran a large finger against her cheek.  “It’s so wonderful to see other turian/human couples bonding and getting married. I got a little excited. I truly am sorry.”

“Nice to see you’re still as embarrassing as ever,” Sergei sighed, rolling his eyes. “It’s admittedly a lot less entertaining when it involves _me_.” Sergei nodded to Davix’s mate. “Sophie, always a pleasure.”

 _Please don’t talk about me and Gwen’s sex life to her father_ , Tassius subvocally implored.

 _I won’t._ Davix responded.

“I hope you and Gwen have a beautiful wedding,” Sophie said with a genuine smile. “I know you’ll both make each other very happy. Congratulations again.” Taking her husband’s hand, the pair walked out of the shop, Sophie gently leaning her head on Davix’s arm as they disappeared into the ward.

Sergei uncrossed his arms and stared up at the shop’s ceiling. “Tassius, just to be clear, I know you and Gwen are… intimately acquainted… but I’ like to never speak of it again.”

“I completely agree,” Tassius hurriedly responded.

He easily gathered all the requested chocolates on his list, as well as a treat for Gwen, before parting ways with Sergei. He’d have just enough time to complete the necessary paperwork at the Hierarchy offices before needing to return to the apartment, meet with his family, and change clothes. 

 _I’ll see you soon my_ _Spiritus Auream_.    

**********

The rooftop of the Silver Coast Casino was the ideal location for a Citadel wedding. Not too tall, the larger buildings in the Silversun Strip created an elegant backdrop to the affair, while the roof itself had been decked out with a red-carpet runner to act as an aisle before meeting the large floral arch her mother had secured somewhere.

The Casino owner, Elijah Khan, was a friend of her uncle Simon. He’d agreed to forgo all casino policy and allow Gwen and Tassius to get married on the rooftop and have their reception and dinner there. Her uncle had decreed that the venue was his wedding gift, and Gwen was only left to speculate what it had cost him.

“Hold still, I’m almost done,” Prazza said in a modulated voice, pulling Gwen from her thoughts. The quarian was currently crouched down in a squat as she finished sewing rubies into the belt of Gwen’s wedding gown.

Scarlet and her team were miracle workers. Based on sketches Scarlet had made while still in Hawaii, Prazza and the rest of Scarlet’s designers had created the most gorgeous lace and chiffon wedding dress Gwen had ever seen; an ivory lace gown hugged Gwen’s features before flowing down to the floor with rubies and garnets sewn into the lace’s floral print. At the belt on Gwen’s waist, the fabric became sheer in the back, save for lace flower designs and garnet buttons that ran the length of her spine. Small capped sleeves covered her shoulders and became opaque white lace again at the front where Scarlet had crafted a sweet-heart neckline. 

The final gems were now being expertly put in place by Prazza and Scarlet, just moments before the ceremony was to begin. Gwen looked at herself in the full-length mirror, tucking a stray wisp of hair back into her fancy twisted bun.

 “And done!” Scarlet announced standing up and smoothing down the fabric of her own burgundy dress. “What do you think Gwen?” She asked stepping back, so Gwen was the only reflection in the mirror. Gwen’s breath caught. The woman in the glass was beautiful, with flawless makeup and gorgeous hair. _I’m a bride_ , she realized.

“Wow,” was all she said.

“Oh, Gwen!” Her mother dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “You’re absolutely radiant darling. The very picture of a bride.”

“Don’t cry mom, you’re going to make me cry too,” Gwen whined.

“Nobody cry, your makeup will run,” Rachael instructed as she clearly fought back tears.

There was a knock at the door and Livia poked her head inside the room. “Gwen, Tosca wants to give – ” She trailed off as Gwen turned to face her. “Spirits Gwen, you look amazing,” Livia purred, walking over to admire Gwen more closely.

“What does Tosca need?” Gwen’s mother asked.

Livia shook her head. “Right, Tosca needs your ring since Julian is the “ring bearer” and we’re about to start.”

While Gwen hadn’t really intended to have a ring bearer or flower girl, when Captain Vallokius and Tosca had arrived with their little boy, Julian, in tow and the child said he wanted to be in the wedding, Gwen had been hard pressed to tell him no. Now, outfitted with a pillow Tosca had found somewhere, Julian had been pacing up and down the hallway of the hotel suite, practicing his walk down the aisle.

Gwen slipped her engagement ring off her finger and handed it to Livia. “Make sure he’s careful,” Gwen said.

Livia chirped an affirmative and headed for the door, throwing Gwen a wide mandible grin. “My brother’s going to faint when he sees you,” she called out as the door shut once more.

“I still think you should have gotten Tassius a ring,” Rachael said. “I know you’re going to do bondmarks, but still.”

“He wears armor literally all day.” Gwen shrugged. “Having greaves rub against a wedding ring on his finger can’t be comfortable.”

“Well, in that case, bite the crap out of him Gwen,” Rachael said with a wink.

Gwen huffed before turning to her mother. “Okay, let’s do this before I lose my nerve. Where’s dad?”

“I’ll message him now,” her mom said, still sniffling.

Time seemed to drag as Gwen took to ripping up a tissue into small pieces once her mother and friends had left to assume their places with the rest of the guests. When the large door to her room finally slid open and her father appeared, it suddenly hit home that she was _actually_ getting married. _This is it. This is going to be forever_ , she mentally panicked despite coolly taking her father’s offered arm.

“You’re a beautiful bride, Guinevere.” Her father said, pulling her from her rushing thoughts as they entered the elevator up to the roof.

“I’m so proud of you angel.” There were tears clinging to his eyes, and Gwen had to suck in a breath as she hugged him, determined not to cry as she walked down the aisle.

“Thanks, dad.” She said in a shaky voice as the elevator doors opened with a ping.

Clearing her throat, Gwen took her father’s arm once again as they stepped out of the elevator and onto the rooftop. Her family and friends were all standing, and Gwen could feel their eyes on her, but her eyes were only on Tassius. He was standing at the other side of the roof, dressed in his white and gold Generals uniform. A rich, red cape was draped over his left shoulder and held in place by two large, gold clasps.

He was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life. _And he’s all mine_ , her mind whispered. Her nerves took a back seat to a bubbling, eager excitement. She distantly heard her father say something in response to a question asked by the asari minister, before she was reaching out with both hands to grasp Tassius’s larger gloved ones.

Looking into the face of the man she loved with all her heart, Gwen beamed at him, relieved to note his mandibles were trembling with nervous energy. _Guess even a turian General gets nervous at his wedding,_ she thought.

“Family, friends, we are gathered here today to share our love and support with Tassius and Guinevere, as they become bondmates.” The minister said in a sweet, silky voice.

Gwen squeezed Tassius’s hands, grinning up at him. He gave her a gentle purr in return, along with a few other vocals she didn’t fully understand.

“The couple has chosen to write their own vows,” the minister continued before turning to Gwen. “Guinevere, please share your thoughts with Tassius.”

Gwen took a deep breath, lost in the crimson depths of Tassius’s eyes. “Tass, I love you,” she heard herself say. “You’re the last person I think about before going to sleep at night, and the one who fills my dreams. You’re brave, loyal, honorable and a true partner. You’re the only person I want to be with.”

Gwen could feel tears threatening to break free as she allowed herself to fully drown in Tassius’s face; the slight twitch of his mandibles, the continuous purr, and his tender, almost reverent gaze. “I promise to love you, no matter the difficulties we may face. To be a loyal and true partner to you, to support you and help you. I’ll treasure your heart and keep it safe. I promise you this now, and till the end of our days.”

The minister made a pleased hum before turning to Tassius. “Tassius, is there anything you wish to share with Guinevere?”

Tassius made a nervous sounding trill which he quickly clamped down on before speaking with his main voice. “Gwen, I never knew what it was to truly love someone until I met you. Being with you… all the poems about destiny, unity, and devotion make sense. You inspire me to be a better man, to be a man worthy of your love.”

He lowered his eyes, a sweet keen in his vocals when he looked up at her and spoke again. “Your love is the greatest gift I have ever known. You’re my _Spiritus Auream,_ my guiding light and sweet salvation. I will love you with every beat of my heart, until my dying day and beyond. I will be your partner in all things and promise to love and support you as we build a life together. I adore you, Gwen.”

The minister laid a hand on each of their shoulders, drawing their attention. “I believe Tassius has a ring to give you Guinevere?”

Julian rose from his seat next to the Captain and standing as proudly as any turian solider, he all but marched over to Tassius, offering up the small gold ring on his pillow. Tassius rumbled a subvocal thanks before taking the ring and carefully slipping it onto Gwen’s finger. 

“Tassius,” the minister continued as Julian walked back to his parents. “Please repeat after me: I, Tassius Malolin…”

Tassius repeated her words, looking at Gwen with flared mandibles.

“Do take Guinevere Helen Kedar as my lawfully bonded mate and wife. To cherish and protect, love and support, now and until the end of my days.”

Tassius finished the final vow, purring loudly. It was Gwen’s turn to repeat after the small asari, and when she finished, she could feel the air grow thick with anticipation as the minister asked if anyone had an objection as to why she and Tassius should not be married. When none came, the minister finally said the words Gwen had been longing to hear: “Tassius, you may now kiss your mate.”

Tassius leaned down eagerly and Gwen flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips hard against his mouth plates. She gently licked his mouth and he obliged her by pressing his tongue back to share in a passionate kiss, while cheers and applause resonated around them in a cacophony of joy.

The pair reluctantly pulled apart, and hands clasped, turned to face their audience.

“May I now present to you, Tassius and Guinevere Malolin!” The minister declared.

Tugging slightly on Tassius’s arm, Gwen and her husband walked down the aisle and over to the far end of the roof where their photographer, a strict looking salarian with mottled grey skin, was waiting for them.

By the time the photographer was finally satisfied he had taken enough photographs of them, Gwen's cheeks hurt from smiling. She and Tassius were then ushered downstairs to sign all the necessary Hierarchy and Alliance marriage documents. Gwen was becoming a duel citizen since she was taking Tassius’s surname, and the extra amount of paperwork _that_ created was headache inducing. Powering through, the new couple was finally able to rejoin their guests and settle in for a family style meal at the long banquet table that had been set up in their absence.

Turian tradition called for a few select types of food, and luckily between Gwen’s mother and Tarquin, everything had been secured. Gwen didn’t know what steamed _xemna_ was supposed to look or taste like, but based on the moan Tassius made while eating, Gwen figured the Casino Chef had done well.

She wasn’t ashamed to say she inhaled her own pasta dish. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that was hours ago. Now, stuffed with food, she tapped Tassius’s arm.

“We need to go around and talk to people Tass.” She gave him a mischievous grin. “Before we dance.”

Tassius swallowed a trill along with the last of his food. “Right. Um, it’s alright if I’m not a good dancer?” He asked.

“Most people aren’t,” Gwen assured him. “We’ll just sway in a circle together. Don’t expect a happy ending like last night though,” she said with a wink as Tassius made a chirruping sound of embarrassment.

As they made their way around the table talking to their guests, Gwen took extra time to speak with Tosca.

“Thank you so much for letting Julian be a part of your special day,” Tosca said. “He’s already been telling Tulip that he wants to be a Ring Bearer at the next wedding we attend.”

“Tulip?” Gwen grinned, biting the inside of her lip at the Captain’s apparent pet name.

Tosca winked at her. “His colony markings remind me of yellow tulips.”

Gwen tried to subtly look at the Captain’s face, only to focus instead on Julian. The little turian was wearing a smaller version of his father’s purple and gold outfit and looked positively adorable.

Tosca glanced around to make sure no one was ease dropping, before lowering her voice and beckoning Gwen in closer. “I hear that you and Tassius are going to do bondmarks. Just a word to the wise, turians can get a bit… excited when marking their mates. It would be wise to apply medigel to your neck _before_ Tassius marks you. Numbs the area.”

Gwen noticed that Tosca had her own bondmark prominently on display, the scar slightly faded but still noticeable. _She definitely knows what she’s talking about_ , Gwen thought.

“Thanks for the advice,” Gwen told her. “I appreciate it.”

Tosca gave her a blinding smile before pulling her in for an affectionate hug. “You’re going to have a wonderful future ahead of you,” Tosca whispered.

Gwen pulled back slowly, a huge smile on her face. “I hope you’re right,” she said as she moved down the table to speak with Cornelia.

After speaking with everyone, Remy’s voice boomed over the conversation as he spoke into an amplifier. “All right, can the happy couple please move to the middle of the roof? It’s time for your first dance!”

Tassius straightened his posture and squared his shoulders, as though he were facing down an enemy threat. While dancing in a dark club was apparently fine, he’d expressed concern to Gwen that his “abilities” when it came to dancing would leave their audience disappointed. Determined to distract him and have him focus on just the shared action of swaying together, Gwen took his hand and led him to the center of the roof as their friends and family stood off to the side.

Gently placing one of his hands on her shoulder and the other on her waist, they began to move in time to the melody they both knew by heart. Gwen grinned at him, remembering how Teddy had told her that Tassius had impressed everyone the night before with his singing ability.

Moving in closer, Gwen laid her head against his chest, sighing contentedly when she felt his deep, rumbling purr. “I love you Tass,” she whispered, knowing he could hear.

She both heard and felt his _Aeternum Song_ beneath her cheek. A love song only for her, a continual promise that she had his heart. The most genuine declaration of love she’d ever received.

Caught up in her emotions, Gwen didn’t realize the song had ended until she heard their guests start to cheer. Tassius kept an arm wrapped around her waist as they exited the dance floor and Remy, who had somehow been appointed DJ, started to queue up some more modern dance songs.

Tassius caught her attention by gently lifting her chin up with a finger. “In case I haven’t made myself clear already,” he whispered, bending down to nuzzle her forehead. “I love you, Gwen Malolin. With all my heart.”

The music continued to play and people probably took pictures as Gwen cupped Tassius’s face and eyes closed, kissed her husband as though they were the only two people in the universe.

As far as her heart was concerned, he was her universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone liked the wedding! Huge thanks to Saphistar for letting me use her OC's Davix and Sophie for a cameo =) 
> 
> Next chapter is actually the last one, but I'm adding my "turian dictionary" to the end of the fic and didn't want people to get confused. Thus, while it says 24 chapters, there's really only 23.


	23. New Beginings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW
> 
> Dilectæ – A Palaveni endearment, translates to “my beloved spouse.” 
> 
> Aeternum Song – Loosely translates to “heart song,” and is a type of vocalization turians make for their romantic partners. The song is specific to the mate, if a turian has more than one partner in a lifetime, the new song will vary drastically. 
> 
> Carissime – A Palaveni endearment, means loosely “my dearest love”

The Citadel was the perfect place for a honeymoon. From food, to entertainment, to culture, there was something for everyone. It also allowed Gwen and Tassius to make the most of their remaining vacation time since Tassius would need to return to active duty in a few galactic days.

Tiberius Towers were, without a doubt, the finest apartment complex Tassius had ever visited. White marble walls, indoor waterfalls built into the rooms and an inviting, open floor plan that spoke of parties with numerous guests.

But this evening, the rented abode would only be playing host to a party of two; himself and his beautiful mate.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Gwen kicked off her pike-heel shoes, sighing in relief as she stepped barefoot onto the luxuriant white carpet of the living area. Turning toward the giant picture window which looked out onto a striking view of the Citadel, Gwen was illuminated by the glow of the seemingly endless river of traffic lights. Still dressed in her white gown, she made an arresting sight, and Tassius found himself transfixed, staring at the lovely curve of her waist, and ethereal shimmer to her hair.

He sighed, and Gwen turned to face him, eyes alight with excitement. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it Tass?” She said returning her gaze back to the city scape.

“It is.” Tassius agreed, though not about the view outside. Walking over to her he gently wrapped her up in his arms, purring when she leaned back against him with a pleased hum. “Thank you,” he whispered softly.

“For what?” Gwen asked, turning in his arms to face him.

“For making me the happiest man in the universe. Today was… I never thought I’d find someone like you.” He admitted. “And not only did I find you, but you wanted to be mine, too.” He hummed as he tried to think of the words to express his feelings. Of how he saw a life full of love and companionship when he looked into her amber eyes. Of belonging and acceptance.

Gwen softly tugged on the front of his cowl, encouraging him to lower his head. He obliged her, and she nuzzled his forehead with her own, closing her eyes at the contact.

“I love you too, Tass.” She whispered before opening her eyes once more. “And I have a surprise for you. Your wedding present.” She grinned before leading him back toward the couch and sitting down next to him on the rich black leather, pulling up her omni tool.

She passed it over to him, biting her lower lip in anticipation as he read the correspondence she’d pulled up. He stared at the confirmation letter from a human modification facility until realization hit him and he chirped in shock.

“You’re getting an auditory implant?” He asked.

Gwen beamed. “My dad has had one for years and loves it. And, I want to be able to hear and understand all your subvocals. I can’t duplicate them, but at least I’ll be able to fully hear you.”

Tassius was left slack jawed. The fact that she would undergo this type of body modification for _him_ was still mind boggling.

“You don’t have – ”

“I know I don’t have to Tass, but I want to. I want this. Do you… what do you think?”

Tassius couldn’t have suppressed the deep, loving purr even if he’d tried. “I think it’s the most generous thing anyone has ever done for me,” he said caressing her cheek with a finger.

Remembering his own gift, he pulled out his omni tool as well to find the correct document. “My own gift isn’t nearly as thoughtful, I’m afraid,” he said passing her his tool.

Gwen read through the Hierarchy text before gasping and turning to him with large, excited eyes and a hand over her mouth.

“I can bring Fizzgig to Taetrus? He can live with us?” Her voice was equal parts disbelief and elation.

Tassius flared his mandibles in a wide smile. “It was a lot of paperwork, but yes, Fizzgig can come live with us in Vallum.” He chuffed. “He can even sleep in bed with us.”

Gwen practically jumped into his lap as she enthusiastically kissed his face, neck and crest. “Thank you, thank you Tass!” Her eyes were wet with unshed tears and her brilliant smile was blinding when she finally pulled back to regard him.

“Anything to make you smile, my _dilectæ_ ,” he said over his rumbling subharmonics.

Gwen grinned at him before lowering her head to trail featherlight kisses across his mandible and down his neck, nipping him hard through the fabric of his uniform where his neck met his shoulder. Tassius let out a hissing gasp, gripping her firmly around the waist with both hands. “Spirits! Gwen,” he panted as she pulled back to look at him with dark eyes. “I want…” he flicked his mandibles out as he considered his next words. “Gwen, you said you wanted to do bondmarks. Is that still true, my love?”

Gwen’s mouth curved up in a shy smile. “I want to mark you, Tass. I want everyone to know you’re my mate. And, I’d love it if you marked me too.”

Tassius pulled her into him, burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling her sweet scent, a smell as familiar to him now as his own. “To mark you as mine would be… I really want that, too.” He said over his purring subvocals.

Gwen gently pulled from his grip and eased off his lap. “There’s a second part to my wedding gift,” she told him with heated eyes. “But you have to stay seated on the couch.”

Tassius rumbled to her with a mix of lust of intrigue. Gwen simply grinned at him, before hitting a few commands on her omni tool and turning the large window in the room opaque. She then jogged over to the apartment door where they’d left their overnight bags, and rifling through hers, pulled out a tube of something which she smeared generously all over her neck before returning to him on the couch. Tapping a few more times on her tool, music started to play from the speakers which were positioned around the entertainment area.

_Step inside,_

_Walk this way_

_You and me babe_

_Hey hey!_

Tassius generally hated the drums and other loud instruments used in most human songs. But, Gwen had kept the volume at a reasonable level, and the way she had begun to move her body, with her hands running up her waist to her breasts was… more than enough to have him ignore the background music.

Sauntering over to him so she was standing close, yet too far away to reach out and touch, Gwen slowly began to pull down the zipper on the back of her dress. Moving her shoulders to the rhythm of the music, she shrugged off one lace sleeve, and then the other. As more of her lovely, cream colored skin was exposed, Tassius found himself digging his talons into the couch cushions in anticipation.

_Pour some sugar on me_

_Ooh, in the name of love_

_Pour some sugar on me_

_C'mon, fire me up_

Gwen’s hips began to sway as her wedding dress pooled on the floor to reveal a white lace corset attached to sheer white, lace pantyhose and a thong that may as well have been non-existent. Walking closer to him with a confidence and grace that seemed so natural to her, she placed both hands on his thighs before whispering, “don’t move or I’ll stop.”

Tassius needed no further instruction, and despite being fully unsheathed he held his breath as Gwen climbed onto his lap and raising her arms above her head began to gyrate her body to the music, grinding down on him and making his eyes bulge and breath come out in gasps. Mustering all his self-control, Tassius somehow managed not to grab her.

  _You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little_

_Tease a little more_

_Easy operator come a knockin' on my door_

_Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet_

_Little miss innocent sugar me, yeah, yeah_

Gwen leaned down to whisper into his aural canal over the music, “you can touch me now, if you want.”

He’d never moved faster in his life off a battlefield. Seizing her around the ass and upper back he lowered her to the floor as gently as he could, moaning at the heady scent of her arousal clouding the air. “Spirits, please Gwen,” he was babbling like a drunk deviant, set on fucking a goddess of lust. “Please,” he begged again, though he wasn’t entirely sure for what, precisely.

Thankfully, Gwen understood, and her deft hands made quick work of the clasps on his uniform. Quickly shrugging off his cape and tunic, Tassius moved to unclasp his pants, sighing in relief when his erection sprang free. Gwen pushed on his waist in silent request for him to stand so he could remove his pants from his leg spurs. As he hastened to comply, Gwen sat up on her knees and ran her flat tongue along the ridged underside of his cock, nearly making him stumble. She gazed up at him with feigned innocence as he rushed to remove his boots.

When he was finally bare, he gently cupped the back of her head with a needy whine, encouraging her to pick up her ministrations where she’d left off. Gwen smirked up at him before wrapping a small hand around the length of his shaft, and gliding it up and down, aided by his own natural lubricant. Slowly, maintaining eye contact, she lowered her mouth onto him, swirling her tongue around the head of his cock. She used her hand and mouth in tandem, stroking and sucking him until his vision began to whiteout from the pleasure.

Tassius tipped his head back, mandibles flared in pure bliss as her sweet, warm mouth swallowed him again and again. He felt himself pulse under her repeated attentions, and desperate to be inside her center, he pushed back on her head causing her to release him, a thin bridge of saliva and his own lubricant still connecting her mouth to his dick. He quickly sat down with his back against the couch, offering her a shaky hand, which she immediately took before straddling him.

Tassius ripped the single silk band of her thong and growled as the material fell away and her wet, hot core hovered above him. He raised his hips up, chirping to her in a subvocal plea, as his tip brushed against her. Gwen lowered down onto him with a sigh, before starting to move. Angling her back and bracing her hands on either side of his keel for support, she raised herself up and nearly off him, before quickly snapping her hips back down to bring their bodies flush.

Tassius closed his eyes, focusing on how damn _good_ she felt. How her body tightly embraced his cock, and how it felt as the ridges of his shaft pressed against her soft, warm core. The sounds of their love making filled the room, as wet flesh and hide pressed together in a perfect union of primal desire and exalted emotion.

When her movements began to falter, Tassius pulled her closer to him and let his more primal instincts take over. Lifting her bodily onto his cock, he began to rapidly thrust into her as he flared his mandibles down and out, and positioning his mouth where nature ordained he should, he sank his teeth into the soft, silky skin of Gwen’s neck. He noted dimly that she tasted like medigel, though the flavor was not overpowering. He held her firmly in his jaws until he felt her body go rigid and her walls constrict around him in a powerful orgasm.

Slowly releasing her with a feral growl, he felt his own completion rushing forward. “Fuck, _dilectæ_ , I’m close, so close, I need… do me,” he practically sobbed, the bitter tang of his mate’s blood still fresh on his tongue.

Faster than he expected, Gwen braced her hands on his shoulders and licking the juncture of his neck, bit down with her small, blunt teeth, piercing his hide and marking him as her mate. Overwhelmed by the combination of pain and pleasure, Tassius felt his biotics surge, pulsing off his body and blasting out in a shockwave as he roared out his own climax, his knot swelling and locking the pair together.

Gripping Gwen tightly, he sank back against the couch, the tang of biotics and musky smell of their combined arousal filling his nose. Gwen fell against him, mindful of his keel as she panted heavily into his cowl.

“Shit Tass,” she breathed. “It’s so hot when you use your biotics.”

He laughed breathlessly, pulling her closer against him and nuzzling her fresh bondmark as his subvocals crowed _mine_ , in a language she’d soon be able to hear and understand. “You’re still the first person to ever think so,” he admitted.

Gwen pushed off him, her lips and chin stained a deep cobalt from his blood. She tenderly ran a finger around the bitemark she’d left on his own neck. “I’ve never asked,” she said still not looking at his face, “but, did any of your past partners… get upset when your biotics flared?”

Tassius hummed to her, lifting her chin up with a finger. “I was never really one who particularly enjoyed… blowing off steam in the typical turian fashion.” He told her with a loving purr lacing his words. “Including you, I’ve only ever been with five people, and the other four were no more than one-offs. Once, I thought…” He trailed off, remembering how he’d felt a genuine connection with the blackwatch corporal. “I thought, one time, there might be more, and my biotics surged and he… he was concerned that I might inadvertently injure him since I ‘clearly’ could not control my abilities.”

Gwen leaned in to press her forehead to his with a gentle sigh. “I know you have perfect control over your biotics,” she said. “And just in case you didn’t already know, I think it’s incredibly sexy when you use them while we’re making love.”

“I know,” he said. “That means a lot to me.” He gently pressed his mouth plates to her soft lips in the best approximation of a kiss he could muster.

“So,” Gwen said with an easy smile. “I know we’re locked together for a while, but do you wanna take a bath? Sit together in the warm water and maybe clean our bondmarks off?”

From her question, Tassius could tell she wanted to take a bath and rumbling in agreement, he held her close as he rose to his feet and walked with her into the large bathroom adjoining the master bedroom.

As the hot water slowly filled the giant basin, Tassius found he couldn’t stop nipping and licking at her bondmark. He had never dwelled for too long on whether he’d ever find a mate of his own, though in his loneliest hours he’d silently assumed he never would. Now, here, locked together with the love of his life, his claiming mark fresh on her neck and the sting of her accompanying bondmark on his own, he felt the need to constantly reassure himself that this was real. That Gwen was real.

Gwen seemed to understand and hummed happily at his attentions. When he turned off the water and lowered himself carefully into the tub, his mate still locked to him, he sighed in perfect contentment. He laid against the side of the bath singing his _Aeternum Song_ while Gwen stroked the back of his head, gently splashing soothing, warm water onto his neck.  As she did so, an idea struck him.

“ _Carissime_ , do you really find my biotics to be such a turn on?” He asked, needing to be assured one final time.

“Your biotics are ridiculously hot, Tass. How they’re so powerful but you can use them so perfectly to bring me pleasure.” Gwen cupped the side of his face, her cheeks red from the warm water. “You’ve given me a major Tassius Malolin biotics kink.”

Tassius flared his mandibles in a wide grin. “Well, if you really think so, there IS something I can show you. Since we’re already immersed in water, it’s the perfect time.”

Gwen pulled her lower lip between her teeth, eyes glowing with interest and excitement as she gently rocked against his hips, making him groan. “Show me?” She asked.

Tassius pressed his forehead to hers once more, focusing his energy to pulse under his skin. Gwen shivered at the sensation of his biotics, as blue flames of energy licked his body and began to vibrate out, wrapping Gwen in their embrace as well. Closing his eyes to better concentrate, Tassius shifted his energy upwards, as though he were going to lift something. He both felt and heard the drop and subsequent splash as the water in the bathtub began to rise all around them toward the ceiling.

He heard Gwen’s soft gasp and opening his electric eyes, looked at her face as she watched the reverse rainstorm rise out of the bath to swirl above their heads in a miniature cyclone. His biotics danced through the water, giving it an almost bioluminescent glow as it rose in millions of pulsing droplets.

“Tassius,” Gwen said, awe and wonder in her features. “This is beautiful. I… Thank you, for sharing this with me.”

“Anything for you my love,” he heard himself say, before loosening his grip on the water and letting it rain down on them in a warm torrent.

As Gwen gave him a radiant smile and flung her arms around his neck in a tight hug, Tassius mused that they had a glorious future ahead of them. Whatever might come their way, they’d face it together, and together they’d always triumph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! I hope everyone enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'll put the dictionary on the end of this tale in a few days. 
> 
> I plan to take a few weeks off to outline and do some smutty rare-pair one shots before embarking on the final installment for Gwen and Tassius's story; Inferno. I hope ya'll will like what's next to come =)


	24. Dictionary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A turian vocabulary dictionary featuring all the words I made up/found for the Ring of Fire Verse and other published and unpublished gift fics. Please feel free to use, but I'd appreciate it if you said where you took a certain word/term so others can find this reference too. =)

**Scortum** – sexual predator or whore

 

**Spiritus Auream** \-- A spirit of Palaven’s sun, Trebia. While not personified like human spirits with a physical body, these spirits are said to be made of pure, golden light, and are immensely powerful and revered.

 

**Aureola** – A special type of crown formally worn by high ranking turians centuries ago. Resembles a halo.

 

**Coelum** – The turian version of heaven, where the spirits of Trebia dwell

 

**Dea** – A word taken from the asari, loosely translates to Goddess

 

**Erat Herba** : A park in Cipritine comparable to Central Park in New York City. The Latin word literally means vegetation.

 

**Taetrian Laudatix** : The ministry of citizenship rankings on Taetrus. Each Hierarchy planet has its own Laudatix.

 

**Shalta** : A large, armor plated and tusked land animal native to the woodland areas of Palaven.

 

**Asinus** – Palaveni word for an idiot or fool

 

**Amicae** – the turian version of a girlfriend or exclusive significant other

 

**Quadrupes Graditur** – A turian sex position similar to “doggie-style”

 

**Nothi** – A colloquial Taetrun word, basically means “bastard”

**Delectamenti** – A turian specialty shop on the Citadel

 

**Taetrus Festum** – A fish dish from the turian colony world, Taetrus, notable for its rich sauce

 

**Salmo** – A very large, heavy-scaled, fresh water fish, similar to an Arapaima from Earth.

 

**Domine** – A polite version of “Sir” used for people outside the military. Generally used for elders.

 

**Yuba Sauce** – A vegetable and meat stock sauce popular with fish

 

**Culus** – Colloquial Taetrun word for “asshole”

 

**Carissime** – A Palaveni endearment, means loosely “my dearest love”

 

**Tevik** – A predatory creature from Palaven that stalks it’s prey with elongated, graceful strides to its gait.

 

**Oserun** – A ceremony that recognizes the promotion of turians to a new citizenship tier. It is a very formal, public event.

 

**Aeternum Song** – Loosely translates to “heart song,” and is a type of vocalization turians make for their romantic partners. The song is specific to the mate, if a turian has more than one partner in a lifetime, the new song will vary drastically.

 

**Malum** – A small sweet fruit, similar to an apple

 

**Altera Domi** – Translates to “second home,” and is the name of the Bed and Breakfast run by Tassius’s family

 

**Ludos** – A common game played by turian children, involves walking exactly in another person’s footprints while trying to stay in a straight line.

 

**Subplantat** – A slang word for “pervert”

 

**Flos** – A type of beautiful, silver flower native to Palaven

 

**Gantu** – An armored, pungent creature, native to Taetrus which fills a similar ecological niche to that of the American Opossum

 

**Promissum** – The turian version of an engagement or proposal, refers more to the ritual of bringing another person into the clan. Has greatly fallen out of use in turian modern culture.

 

**Vinum** – A type of turian wine, can come in a burgundy or sparkling variety

 

**Corda** – An older term of Palaveni origin, loosely translates to “the reason for my heart beat” and is often used between mates

 

**Parvus** – Palaveni word for “tiny one” or “lovely small thing,” used often for babies

 

**Spona** – The turian version of a fiancé, or else a person betrothed to another

 

**Dilectæ** – A Palaveni endearment, translates to “my beloved spouse.”

 

**Crustulam Cibum** – A type of small meat cake filled with herbs and baked meat. A common breakfast food for turians.

 

**Xemna** – A large type of herd animal used for food. The turian equivalent of a cow.

 

**Louza** – A type of dextro poultry. The turian version of chicken.

 

**Mexta** – A short sword often used in duels. Are frequently worn by high ranking military officials during important social events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to say hello on Tumblr: @Wafflesrock16

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are always welcome! Thanks for reading =)


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